Medical Management Plan Philippines OVERVIEW Company Mission Our mission is to encourage young people to volunteer for worthwhile work in developing countries. We expect that doing this kind of voluntary work will in time become the norm. As more and more people join us, we aim to create a multi-national community with a passion to serve, to learn, to understand, to teach, to inspire, and to be inspired. Medical Programme Mission Our Medical programme mission is to enable an exchange of medical knowledge and facilitate a greater understanding of global healthcare practices. By empowering local communities, we aim to improve standards of health through awareness, prevention and treatment. Background Information Officially called the Republic of the Philippines, this is a lower-middle income island nation located in Southeast Asia. Despite its economic growth over recent years, the country s healthcare system has been marked by stagnation, with only very small improvements being noted in various health indicators i. Healthcare in the Philippines varies between private, public, to barangay health centres (in many rural municipalities). Most of the national burden of healthcare is taken up by private health providers ii, with about 60% of hospitals being privately-owned and operated. Medicine prices also remain some of the highest in Asia iii. The healthcare staff is well-qualified, but the number of government health practitioners has declined over the past 17 years and the number of hospital beds available fails to keep up with increases in population. These differences between private and public institutions are causing a growing inequality with regards to access to quality care. As public spending on healthcare declines, patients pay more out of their own pockets, and only less than half of the population is covered by national healthcare iv. The lack of human and material resources aggravates challenges as the country faces a triple burden of disease: not only are there still high numbers of communicable diseases, including neglected tropical diseases, but the number of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is rising, and the country is the third highest disaster prone country in the world v. Malnutrition, for example, remains a serious problem with 30% of children under the age of five being stunted and half of all children being iron-deficient vi. Unsurprisingly, the poorer communities are those that suffer most from malnutrition vii. A new challenge being faced is the rapid increase in cases of HIV/AIDS. Partners
Projects Abroad Philippines is registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) through the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippine Government. Our partners are government and non-governmental medical institutions in Bogo City and include the following organisations: Bogo City Health Office Cebu Provincial Hospital Bogo City San Remegio Rural Health Unit We are also establishing partnerships with private medical institutions. We partner with reputable and growing institutions that support our Medical programme and recognise the role of volunteers in development. GOALS In order to work towards our Medical programme mission, we have set the following goals to achieve in the placements where we send our volunteers: 1. Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge (*** priority goal ***) Many of our medical volunteers have no or little experience within the medical field. Their project allows them to gain invaluable insight into the healthcare system and procedures within a developing country, as well as prevalent local diseases. We aim to create a platform for a true cultural exchange, with volunteers learning from local staff as well as sharing their experiences with one another. Professional medical volunteers are able to share their knowledge and experiences both with other volunteers as well as the local teams, initiating a discussion and exchange around best practices. We also aim to promote a better knowledge of best medical practices with other partner institutions such as local schools and orphanages, to encourage better hygiene and healthier lifestyle choices. Through these actions, the project is able to become a real learning experience. Volunteers are highly encouraged to organize workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions with the placements and their fellow volunteers. 2. Promote awareness of non-communicable diseases (*** priority goal ***) Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) cause an estimated 35 million deaths each year, and 60% of these deaths are due to four main NCDs, namely cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers. Worse, 80% of these deaths occur in low to middle income countries, a category within which the Philippines can be found. In fact, the seven out of ten leading causes of death in the country are due to NCDs. Recent demographics show that people with NCDs are not confined to the older generation as it used to be, but they are affecting the younger and most productive age group. NCDs are brought about by tobacco use, excessive alcohol drinking, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Medical and Public Health volunteers will be engaged in various activities in promoting awareness on NCDs to villages, schools and to the communities where we operate, working hand-in-hand with our local partners. 3. Improve hygiene standards
Due to overcapacity and lack of facilities, the local healthcare centres and public institutions such as the district hospital, rural health units and schools usually present an unsatisfactory level of hygiene considering the importance of a clean environment. Volunteers can greatly help in running workshops on the importance of basic hygiene standards in schools, care centres and communities where we operate, with the aim of improving the overall health of the population. 4. Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients Most, it not all of, public-run medical facilities in the Philippines are not as impressive as those found in the private-run facilities. The medical technologies need to be improved, including the standard of healthcare provided to patients on a daily basis. One of the issues faced in the public sector in the Philippines is understaffing. Volunteers who prove to be committed and proactive will be able to lend a hand and become an extra workforce alongside permanent staff and interns within hospitals, thus allowing all staff the time required to offer the right level of dedicated care to patients. 5. Reduce the number of cases of HIV/AIDS Though still considered to be low prevalence, the Philippines has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world viii : there are almost 500 new cases of HIV every month, as reported by the Department of Health s national Epidemiology Centre, leading to a 587% increase in people reported as living with HIV over the last five years ix. Medical and Public Health volunteers will be engaged in responsible health and sexuality and healthy lifestyle campaigns in villages and schools were we operate, with the aim of promoting safe sex practices and improving the overall health of the population. RESOURCES Human Resources Average 50 Medical volunteers per year Projects Abroad global staff teams Placement staff support Physical Resources Projects Abroad offices Placement materials Online Resources Volunteer Resources Database Myprojectsabroad webpages Financial Resources Monthly budgets for overall operations Donations to specific projects or placements Intangible Resources Reputation in destination communities Goodwill; genuine desire to help Expertise Projects Abroad provides a range of resources for each of our programmes. These fall into four interdependent categories:
Human: Volunteers themselves are our most crucial asset in achieving our goals. Through their creativity and energy, all of our ambitions can be realised. Another central support team is our extensive network of Projects Abroad staff worldwide, dedicated to supporting volunteers and achieving our company mission. We also depend greatly on the staff in all of our placements; whose support guides volunteers through their daily activities. Physical: Projects Abroad has offices in all of our destinations, where volunteers can come to speak to staff or attend workshops. There are also office materials and placement supplies available to volunteers. Online: The Volunteers Resources Database and myprojectsabroad webpages all provide vital support before, during and after their placements. Financial: Funds for all of Projects Abroad s work come solely from volunteer placement fees. These are distributed via monthly budgets, to ensure fair allocation of funds for each destination. Occasionally volunteers may also send donations directly for a specific placement or project. Intangible: The good reputation of volunteers in local communities is what makes our work possible. This reputation has been earned over years of dedicated volunteer contribution. This is supported by the combined knowledge of our extensive staff network. With over 700 staff across every continent, we are proud to be a diverse and accomplished team. MONITORING & EVALUATION Placement visits Volunteer workshop sessions Staff meetings Volunteer Resources Database Feedback evaluation Physical monitoring: Through placement visits and volunteer workshops, volunteers are in frequent contact with staff members, who will observe and advise volunteers in action. Staff participate in regular meetings to discuss best practices within and between destinations. Online monitoring: The Volunteer Resource Database is platform for staff and volunteers to share and develop ideas. Feedback evaluation: Feedback from placement staff, Projects Abroad staff and volunteers is continuously gathered and used to inform future plans.
LOCATION OF PLACEMENTS i http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_phl_en.pdf ii History of the Public Health System in the Philippines, Marcelo C. Angeles, Philippines, DOH, 120p iii http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_phl_en.pdf iv http://www.internations.org/philippines-expats/guide/living-in-the-philippines-15358/the-philippineshealthcare-and-diseases-2 v http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_phl_en.pdf vi http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_phl_en.pdf vii http://www.allianzworldwidecare.com/healthcare-in-the-philippines viii http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_phl_en.pdf ix http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_phl_en.pdf