YWAM Medical Ships

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Opportunity: Help isolated communities with medical specialists, supplies, health services, and mentoring and support for rural health workers.

  • Organization: YWAM Medical Ships - Australia & Papua New Guinea

  • Web address/link of Organization: www.ywamships.org.au

  • Detailed Description of activities: Over 84% of PNG’s population lives in rural areas, and the isolation and lack of infrastructure makes delivering healthcare and training quite challenging. YWAM Medical Ships Australia & PNG (YWAM MS) helps to overcome this challenge by accessing isolated communities with medical specialists, supplies, health services, and mentoring and support for rural health workers. YWAM MS works in collaboration with the National Department of Health and provincial health teams to support local health workers throughout the coastal and inland villages across the Southern Region and Morobe Province. YWAM MS deploys teams daily via small patrol tender from the "mother ship," setting up clinics in villages. Primary health care, optometry, tuberculosis diagnostics, and health promotion education services are provided on land, whereas dental services and ophthalmic services (cataract and pterygium surgeries) are conducted in clinic areas on board the ship.

  • Medical Specialty needed: Tropical medicine, general medicine, nurses, midwives, physical therapists, ophthalmologists proficient in MSICS procedure, optometrists, orthoptists/ophthalmic assistants, dentists, dental therapists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, clinical educators.YWAM MS works in collaboration with the National Department of Health and provincial health teams to support local health workers throughout the coastal and inland villages across the Southern Region and Morobe Province.

  • Location: Papua New Guinea

  • Time Required: Outreaches are often two weeks in length, with clinics typically running Monday through Friday, 9am - 5pm. However, plan to be flexible, as PNG is aptly named the "land of the unexpected."

  • Volunteer or Compensated: Volunteer. Costs are $750 AUD/outreach, plus flights.

  • Malpractice Insurance: Brochure available on request.

  • Contact Person from organization:

    • Melissa Kauk

    • info@ywamships.org

  • Contact Person from TPMG: None available at this time.

  • Updated September 26, 2019