Angola: Medical care

Typical Roles: Medical and Non-Medical

Doctors of the World UK is looking for both medical and non-medical volunteers to work in the field in more than 50 countries.

It’s important to remember that this kind of volunteer work is the result of an individual, ideological commitment. We perceive your desire to volunteer with us as a gesture of solidarity, which has more significance than simply looking for a job.

Medical: doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists and surgeons

You will need two years post qualification experience. A diploma in tropical medicine would be useful.
Minimum period for volunteering: 3 months
  • Doctor
A doctor’s role within the framework of a post-emergency and long-term project is not really focused on direct care. Instead, it focuses mainly on observing in order to understand the context and the zone’s sanitary functioning.
To understand the context, the doctor will meet with the local authorities and the different partners to exchange information and present the project, having consultations with auxiliary staff. S/he will also assess the structures, needs (reception, medicines, and materials) and the need for staff training – all of this within the framework of the project’s objectives and its implementation.
After the initial assessment within the project’s framework, the doctor will make proposals for improvement in collaboration with the authorities and teams. S/he will organise their implementation and follow-up, supervising the structures’ functions.
  • Midwives
A midwife will use the skills she acquired during her training:obstetrics, paediatrics & childcare, gynaecology, general medicine and pharmacology. This initial training will enable her to practice all the usual activities of a maternity hospital. So she will be well equipped to work in the field, dealing with a whole range of women’s problems  from gynaecology, to mothers-to-be (obstetrics) and young children (paediatrics).

Her experience will give her an overview of women’s health and that of newborn children. Many of our projects take place in mother and childcare centres where there can be social and economical difficulties, which can result in additional problems (addictive behaviour, flaws in primary care, various deficiencies) as well as psychological issues (difficulties in being a mother, maltreatment, abandonment). Therefore, she will be very sensitive to problems of prevention and early detection.
  • Nurses
The nurse will be able to give his/her opinion on the construction(layout of the clinic’s room) and the organisation of the project, taking into account the local way of life, the living conditions and any travel difficulties. Management of medicine stocks and reports onthe project’s activities are also involved.
Recruiting and training local staff to work on the project is also part of this role. However, the amount varies depending on the role and previous experience of the nurse. Nonetheless, recruitment and training of local staff is very important at all times as the aim of many of our projects is the transference of skills, ensuring that a project is sustainable after the departure of our team.
  • Psychologists
Psychologists generally intervene in post-emergency contexts and work primarily within post-traumatic stress situations, victimology and harm reduction. They have a role in training and transferring skills tolocal mental health professionals.
  • Surgeons
Surgeons can intervene in all types of projects (general surgery, traumatology, urology, maxillo-facial, gynaecology, obstetrics) as health providers or trainers.
  • Co-ordinators
A co-ordinator supervises, organises and co-ordinates the project’s logistics to guarantee the relevance of logistical activitiesand to fulfil the project’s objectives.
S/he takes part in defining the planning, supervising and organising of its implementation. S/he is in charge of the project’scontinuous assessment. In terms of safety, s/he participates in analysing the context, drafting safety protocols, defining safety rules for people and goods for the whole project. This ensures that the logistical means are suitable, and defines the project’s needs in terms of safety. The co-ordinator organises and controls their technical implementation.

 

 Non-medical: Administrators, logisticians and lawyers

You will need three to five years experience in your given field.
Minimum period for volunteering: 6 months
  • Administrators
An administrator supervises and organises the continuous financial accounting, budgetary and administrative management of a project. This guarantees rigorous and transparent management procedures and fulfils the objectives of the project.
In the budgetary and financial part of the project, an administrator participates in the planning process, defining objectives, organising and ensuring their implementation. S/he takes part in ensuring the continuous evaluation of the project.
In terms of safety, an administrator helps to analyse the context and drawing up of safety protocols. S/he manages the administration of both local and expatriate staff.
  • Co-ordinators
A co-ordinator supervises, organises and co-ordinates the project’s logistics to guarantee the relevance of logistical activities and to fulfil the project’s objectives.
There are both medical and non-medical co-ordinator roles.
S/he takes part in defining the planning, supervising and organising of its implementation. S/he is in charge of the project’s continuous assessment. In terms of safety, s/he participates in analysing the context, drafting safety protocols, defining safety rules for people and goods for the whole project. This ensures that the logistical means are suitable, and defines the project’s needs in terms of safety. The co-ordinator organises and controls their technical implementation.
  • Lawyers
Lawyers specialising in human rights, the rights of refugees or international law can sometimes work on our projects. They are brought in (usually within the framework of emergency projects) to take up oneor more duties: collection of testimonies, creation or maintenance of a network and to support the coordinator with their geopolitical analysis.
  • Logisticians
A logistician is in charge of the project’s practical and technical environment. The position is both technical and very versatile. S/he isin charge of the stewardship, the maintenance and management of cars, radio-communications and rehabilitating buildings such as clinics, health centres and hospitals. S/he is also responsible for the camp’s sanitation and general management, supplying and managing medicines and medical stock.

A logistician must have solid technical professional experience (at least two years) in electricity, building or electro-mechanics. S/he must speak one foreign language fluently (usually English or Spanish)and must be available for a period of six or twelve consecutive months.


For medical and non-medical positions, a working knowledge of French is useful, although not obligatory. Other languages, like Spanish and Portuguese, are also useful.

Other positions
This list is not exhaustive, as the availability of jobs depends on the unique circumstances of each project: nutritionists, laboratory technicians, anthropologists, ethnologists and biologists. Please contact us if you would like to find out more.

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