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St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Country Description:
Background:
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a multi-island state in the Windward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles, consisting of thirty two islands, inlets and cays. At the primary care level, thirty nine Health Centers spreading over nine health districts provide services to the users of these facilities. On an average, each Health Center is equipped to cater to a population averaging 2,900 with no one required to travel more than three miles to access care.
To fly to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, you can take LIAT/Caribbean Star Airlines to St. Vincent and the Grenadines via stopover in Barbados, Trinidad or St. Lucia; The airport you will fly into is called E.T. Joshua Airport in Arnos Vale on St. Vincent island.
Volunteer Description:
Healthcare providers are needed to perform basic outpatient and inpatient services. These include:
We need healthcare providers to administer vaccines, perform screening and care for common sexually transmitted infections, perform basic gynecologic care (PAP screening, urine pregnancy tests), and perform vision screening and hearing testing. Health care providers are needed to perform various office procedures (flexible sigmoidoscopy, colposcopy, LEEP biopsy of the cervix, cryotherapy, vasectomy, and obstetrical ultrasound). Physicians are needed to assist with the teaching of nurses and other health care providers in clinical medical education. Dentists will be needed to provide extractions, operative, endodontics and other palliative treatment for acute dental infections.
Dental Services:
There's no speciality dentists in St. Vincent.
Dental service is provided free of charge to children and persons over the age of 60 years in the health centers, all others pay a small fee for dental care. Private dental care to the average Vincentian is expensive.
Services provided at the Government Clinics are restorations and extractions. All other services must be sought from private dentists. Dental x-rays are obtainable at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital only.
No dental supplies or instruments can be purchased in St. Vincent and the Grenadine; they must be imported from elsewhere.
Locations / HealthCare Facilities:
1) Medical Facilities: The Milton Cato Memorial Hospital
This is a full service hospital, where the majority of medical procedures will take place.
In addition to this there are also several other smaller clinics that medical oriented volunteers can volunteer at.
2)Dental Facilities:
The equipment in most of the Government operated Dental Clinics in SVG consists of 1 Dental Chair, 1 Compressor, 1 Suction/Delivery Unit, Fast and Slow hand pieces, Sterilizer, Amalgamator, Water distributor, Light Cure Unit, Ultrasonic Scaler and full set of hand instruments.
Dental X-rays are done at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital only.
The clinics are operated by 1Dentist and is assisted by a Dental Nurse. Dental care is not available at all the 39 Health Centres in the country.
Requirements:
A visa is not required to enter the country. Each volunteer must be the holder of a current license or be able to show proof of his/her qualification. The Ministry of Health in St. Vincent and the Grenadines must authorize the team to practice. Each member of the team must provide a notarized copy of his/her current license or proof of qualifications and copy of Resume/CV (This is optional). Once these are received, we will obtain the necessary endorsement from the Ministry of Health.
The doctors and dentists need to apply about 2 months in advance for their temporary licenses. They would then be forwarded to the St. Vincent Ministry of Health and the licenses are usually issued within 2 weeks. No fee is charged for the licenses or for other volunteer registration. There are opportunities for nurses and dental hygienists to volunteer as well. Third and fourth students may be part of a mission team and they may assist the dentists and doctors with ancillary duties but they are not allowed to do clinical volunteering.
Physicians:
a) An application Letter (addressed to Chairman, Medical Council of SVG, C/o Ministry of Health, Kingstown, St. Vincent).
b) Notarized copy of current license (or proof of qualification if the doctor is retired).
c) Recent reference from immediate previous employer.
d) Copy of CV.
e) 2 recent passport size pictures
* Please not that faxed copy of current license or proof of qualification is not accepted. However the other documents can be emailed or faxed.
Nurses:
Volunteer nurses who wish to provide nursing care in SVG must be registered with the General Nursing Council. To register with the Council, each nurse must submit the following and mail them to HealthCare Volunteer, 6825 Cielo Vista Dr, PMB# 29, El Paso, TX 79925: