Children's Hospital, Quito - Ecuador

Product Details

Baca Ortiz is a specialist paediatric hospital in Quito for up to 300 children. They range in age from newborn babies to 15 years. The six wards focus on: burns, emergencies, intensive care, oncology, surgery and a general clinic. There is also a well equipped ‘ludoteca’ or play area. Volunteers would be based here for a part of each day, putting on activities with the children There are swings, a drama area, paints, ball games and exercise equipment. ‘Laughing therapy’ is important and clowns and entertainers visit the ludoteca to assist with this.

Medical treatment is provided free of charge but medication has to be paid for. Unfortunately this means that many children go without proper treatment. Outreach International provide a significant amount of financial sponsorship to the project but it falls a long way short of solving the problem. Dr Hilce Norona, the hospital director and her wonderful staff are keen to have Outreach International volunteers. They realise that good volunteers can save the hospital money and alleviate their workload.

Volunteer responsibilities

The Ecuadorian doctors and nurses are well trained but often very busy. Volunteers can offer support by keeping records of the patients, weighing, measuring, taking blood pressure and temperatures and assisting with general check-ups. The children really appreciate the individual input that volunteers can provide. You would therefore be asked to spend 15 or 20 minutes a day with as many individual children as possible, talking, reading stories, painting, teaching them a few words of English, showing them love and care. This is seen as an important part of their therapy. You would also be asked to carry out ‘nursing’ duties such as changing nappies and sheets.

You would also be asked to work with a social worker making an assessment of which children should be entitled to free medicines and free meals.

It would be an ideal placement for anyone interested in studying medicine. You may be given duties and responsibilities only normally undertaken by experienced medics in the UK! If you have qualifications in physiotherapy or O.T. your role would be different from that of unqualified volunteers.

Accommodation and time off

Work would be five days a week, weekends are normally free. You could live with a family in Quito which would give you every opportunity to improve your Spanish or in the Outreach house which is located close to the hospital. Like all Outreach volunteers you would attend an intensive two-week Spanish course when you arrive in Quito. The patients and staff do not speak English so a knowledge of the language is important. All Outreach volunteers are registered members of the South America Explorers club and have full access to its great facilities and clubhouse.

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Our users say...
"I was a bit overwhelmed at some of my responsibilities but once I got the hang of things it was great. The children are the same as anywhere else in the World but some of them are from very ragged backgrounds. I loved clowning about with them and honestly believe that I helped with their rehab. The months with Outreach were not just about the hospital. It was about home visits, exploring, fellow volunteers, invitations to the patients' villages, horseback riding around Cotapaxi... three months but a lifetime of stories" - Jamie Godden.

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