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Tanzania

Itinerary:
  • Any date available


  • Country Description:
  • Full country name: United Republic of Tanzania
  • Area: 945,090 sq km (364,879 sq mi)
  • Population: 31,270,820
  • Capital city: Dodoma
  • People: 99% native African (over 100 tribes), 1% Asian, European and Arabic
  • Languages: Swahili, English, indigenous.
  • Religion: 40% Christian, 33% Muslim, 20% indigenous beliefs
  • Currency: Tanzanian Shillings – around 1,200 shilling=1 USD
  • Volunteer Description:
    Volunteers may stay in 1 Government hospital or may rotate through various clinics throughout the country. Volunteers must spend a minimum of 1 week in any one clinic but can transfer from clinic to clinic. Third and forth year dental and medical students can do clinical work under the supervision of a dentist or physician. Teams are encouraged to apply.

    1) Sumbawanga Regional Hospital
    Sumbawanga is a rural, semi-isolated town. The journey takes at least 2 days from Dar Es Salaam. This consists of a 12-14 hour bus journey from Dar to Mbeya, followed by a 6-8 hour dirt track bus journey to Sumbawanga the following day. Government vehicles will take volunteers staying locally to and from the hospital each day.

    Sumbawanga District Hospital is fairly large.  It contains nine wards, a laboratory, a small operating room, a dentistry clinic, x-ray and ultrasound machines, and a busy CTC (Care and Treatment Center) for people with HIV or AIDS.  A large operating complex with three theatres should be completed by the end of August 2009.  They are also in the process of building a large maternity complex, but progress has been at a stand-still for months (as of March 2009). 

    The hospital lacks fully-trained medical professionals and is always in need of help.  Approximately 250 patients are seen there per day.

    Current staff and facilities:
    - 1 dentist
    - 2 dental hygienists
    - 4 physicians (manage the hospital/rarely treat patients)
    - 16 medical assistants
    - There is a sterilisation unit and wet lab available

    Hotels in Sumbawanga
    Forest Way Country Club is very nice but relatively expensive (about 30,000 TSH per night, breakfast included).  It has a nice restaurant and bar.  The phone number is +255 25 280‑2800.

    The Moravian Conference Centre (+255 25 280-2853) is also nice, but has smaller rooms.  The restaurant has a shorter menu and there is no bar.  A single costs 14,000 TSH, but if you are staying for a long period, the price is negotiable. 

    There are other hotels within Sumbawanga, but these hotels have received volunteers before and are known to be relatively safe.

    2) Mpanda District Hospital
    Mpanda is a small, rural, isolated town.  The majority of people living in Mpanda are subsistence farmers who earn less than a dollar a day. Mpanda is located a 6 hour dirt track bus ride from Sumbawanga into the Rift Valley. This makes the minimum journey time from Dar Es Salaam 3 days.

    Mpanda District Hospital is within one of the largest and most rural districts in Tanzania. It serves a population of nearly 600,000 people, including 50,000 refugees held in specially built villages around 1-2 hours drive from the Town. The hospital has 120 bed (which increases to 150 beds when needed). The hospital sees around 50-60 patients a day, with 100-150 inpatients at any one time.

    The hospital consists of an out patients department, CTC (HIV and TB/Leprosy clinic), female and male medical wards, female and male surgical wards, paediatric ward, maternity ward and operating theatres (2 major and 1 minor).

    Current staff:

    1. 2 Doctors
    2. 12 Assistant medical officers
    3. 20 Clinical officers
    4. 2 Dental assistants
    5. 0 Surgeons
    6. 0 Dentists

    There is a full examination chair in the dentist clinic, but it is still mainly extractions that are being performed due to a lack of supplies available. Volunteer dentists should bring composites, burs, gowns, and restorative materials.

    Hotels in Mpanda
    1) Catholic Mission
    There is a large Catholic church adjacent to Mpanda District Hospital.  Four friendly priests live next to the church.  They allow guests to stay in their spare rooms and eat with them for approximately , 6,000 TSH per day.  The accommodations are very basic, but there is indoor plumbing.  You should call the doctors at the Mpanda hospital before you arrive and talk to them about accommodations.  They will let the priests know that you are coming.

    2) Super City Hotel
    This is located quite far from the hospital. It is a good option if accommodation is not available in the Mission as it is safe. It costs 12,000TSH per night.

    3) Moshi District Hospital (Mawenzi)
    Moshi is a large town located at the foot of Kilimanjaro, 30 minutes drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport. On the Dar-Arusha Highway it is the perfect location to start both Kilimanjaro climbs and Safaris to the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater.

    You can fly directly into Kilimanjaro International Airport with KLM, Ethiopian Airways and Kenyan Airways or fly into Dar Es Salaam. From Dar you can either fly to Kilimanjaro for $150 or you can get a 6-8 hour bus for $20.
    Moshi District Hospital (Mawenzi) is a public hospital located within the city center.  It lacks adequate funds and personnel.  About 700 to 800 patients are seen per day.  The hospital includes:

    1. a small surgical department
    2. a paediatric ward
    3. a large CTC (Care and Treatment Center) for people with HIV or AIDS
    4. x-ray and ultrasound machines
    5. a dentistry department

    Current staff are:

    1. 4 Doctors
    2. 2 Dentists
    3. 2 Dental hygienists
    4. 24 Assistant Medical Officers

    There are many hotels in Moshi town:

    1. Kindoroko Hotel (+255 27 275-0082) $25 per night including breakfast
    2. Umoja Lutheran Hostel (+255 27 275-0902) includes breakfast but not self contained rooms – 7,000-10,000 TSH per night
    3. Buffalo Hotel: 10,000 TSH for a single, 20,000 TSH for a double
    4. Zebra Hotel: $40 USD for a single or double $30 USD for a triple, B/B
    5. Kilimanjaro Crane Hotel: $30 per single, $40 per double, and $50 per triple
    6. Springland: $50 per single or double, $75 per triple, B/B
    7. Impala Hotel: $75 per single, $85 per double, $130 per triple, B/B

    4) Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC)
    Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), is located outside the city centre on a nice, quiet road.  A taxi ride to KCMC costs about 3,500 TSH.
    It is private and has many Western ties.  KCMC is one of Tanzanian’s best hospitals. 
    Volunteers there are required to make a six-month commitment.

    Requirements:
    Any medical professional who wishes to work in the country as a volunteer has to send a copy of his/her current license to the Ministry of Health permanent secretary. The Ministry of Health will screen the applicant before issuing an allowance to the Ministry of Social Security migration who will be able to issue your work permit. It is important in your application to the Ministry of Health that you mention which specific gov't health centre you wish to work in or which region of Tanzania you wish to work in, otherwise the government will place you in the most needed area. The other option is to send your resume and certified licensure documents to the Regional Hospital where you would actually like to go and work. The Regional Hospital will write to the Ministry of Health and will certify on your behalf to the Ministry of Health to get your work permit. Our first volunteer was placed in February, 2007.

    Visas:
    Volunteers bear the cost of their own visa. Currently visa costs are up to $50 and are usually obtained at the Zanzibar/Dar-es-Salaam airport upon entry. They can also be obtained in your home country from the Tanzanian Embassy. The visa only lasts 3 months but can be renewed for an extra 3 months for $50. However, if you receive a valid work permit from the Ministry of Health, you are considered a resident of Tanzania and you will not need a visa. Work permits will be facilitated by HealthCare Volunteer for volunteers who commit to a long-term project 6 months+. You will bear the actual cost for a work permit which was $300 as of February, 2007; In some short term cases, volunteers going for 5 weeks or less may be exempt through a special relationship we have created with the Ministry of Health allowing some of our short term physicians/dentists be exempt from paying $300 registration fees. Dental/Medical students are exempt from paying for a work permit. Current Visa Rates For Citizens of Other Countries

    Fees:
    There are no fees specifically for a Tanzanian placement.

    Immunizations
    CDC Guidelines | NHS Guidelines
    * A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain countries in East Africa.
    Apply now

    How Do I Apply?
    Follow this 3 step process:
    1. Create an account and then login to your account. Next Fill out the Online Application.
    2. Next, Print/Fill out the Paper form (PDF or DOC) and mail it to us with supporting documents.
    3. Upon receipt of your materials, we will process your application, obtain necessary work permits and deploy you to your volunteering site. Filling out the volunteering form is not a guarantee of placement, but we do try to accommodate as many volunteers as possible during the times you request. Please remember you will have to pay your own visa, temporary licensure or other governmental fees necessary. In the mean time, please gain the latest recommended immunizations
    US Citizens: Follow CDC Guidelines | UK Citizens: Follow NHS Guidelines | Other Citizens: Follow Local Guidelines



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