how not to save the world - Guest Lecture Flashcards
Darryl Anderson
executive director of Mercy Ships Canada
Mercy Ships
faith-based internatioal NGO that opeares hospital ships run by skilled medical volunteers to provide direct medical care to patients with no access to safe surgical care
- HQ based in the US
- 16 international offices including Canada
- mercy ships global association is based in Switzerland
- Africa service center being created in Senegal
- country engagement teams located in several African countries
direct medical services
women’s health
maxillofacial
orthopedic
reconstructive plastic
general
ophthalmic
Dental
education, training & advocacy
mercy ships delivers capacity-building healthcare education programs to reinforce sustainable medical care in Africa
why ships
- mobility
- training and development
- economy of scale
- stability
- security
- community for crew
global mercy
world’s largest and newest purpose built civilian hospital ship
Africa mercy: hospital ship convert from Roll on Roll-off vessel
global health volunteerism
before volunteering: as yourself “are you running towards something or away from something”
examples of volunteerism
- physician volunteers
- nursing volunteers
volunteer model (allows for greater impact)
more than 1,550 volunteers from 60 countries serve annually aboard our hospital ships in various medical and non-medical roles
practical suggestions for strengthening global health volunteerism
make a personal commitment to have your intentions and actions informed and shaped by global health ethical principles
- humility
- introspection
- solidarity
- social justice
- sphere sovereignty
be open to adapting how you apply your theory of change. Fall in love with a problem not your solution
prioritize time and money to invest in people
volunteer opportunities
example of volunteer roles on the Africa Mercy or Global Mercy
technical – deck officers, marine engineers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, HVAC
medical – nurses, surgeons, OR sterile processing technicians, dentists, ophthalmologists
general – teachers, IT support, hospitality
medical volunteer opportunities influenced by several issues
availability of essential workforce, equipment & supplies
infrastructure deficits:
* electrical supply
* water supply
* medical waste
* road infrastructure
* port infrastructure (at least for Mercy ships)
Factors driving surgical medical volunteerism
the literature suggests that charitable organizations deliver surgery via
- short term surgical trips
- self-contained surgical platforms (Mercy ships)
- surgical hospitals
short-term surgical trips
self-contained surgical platforms
specialty surgical hospitals
self-contained surgical platforms
the self-contained surgical platforms, stands as a testament to comprehensive healthcare
mercy ships operates hospital ships that carry an entire infrastructure, including pathology and radiology. this enables them to offer a wide range of surgeries from general, plastic, reconstructive, orthopedic, maxillofacial to obstetric fistula surgeries
specialty surgical hospitals
a standard model for surgical delivery by NGOs is that these platforms establish an entire physical plant, either new or within an existing structure, dedicated to treating one or a few related surgical conditions
mercy ships’s approach to medical volunteerism
mercy ships uses a collaborative approach to develop a customized 5-year partnership with every nation we are invited to support
volunteering abroad - ethical dilemmas
5 billion people lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgery
how should you fram the opportunities and challenges?
* first world problems
* make you mark
* help others make their mark
* world problems first
challenges associated with international healthcare work
impact of Canadian law
* Canada revenue agency
* anti-corruption
the influence of Charity Rating Organizations such as charity intelligence Canada
Board governance in the Canadian Charity Sector
how do you know if volunteering brings about desirable change?
in June 2020, Mercy Ships Canada was named one of Circle Act’s absolute top 99.5% charities in Canada who bring high-inpact positive change
