It is important to create a safe and inviting environment for health clinics to take place and encourage an open dialogue around physical and mental health. In Fijian villages many ailments we may consider low risk are higher risk due to the tropical climate, basic conditions and foreign bacteria/insects, therefore participants and staff need to be extra cautious when it comes to self care and awareness.
Health clinics provide an opportunity to monitor any ill health closely to promote faster recovery times and ensure volunteers gain access to further healthcare where necessary.
Timings – x2 Daily Clinics Morning Clinic – 8.45am and Afternoon Clinic 16.00pm
Keep the timings of health check in’s consistent, and if you do need to adjust them at weekends ensure this is clearly communicated with the team.
Location – Must be quiet, and as private and clean as possible. E.g. The leader’s house is often a preferable location, avoiding the village hall or big public buildings with many people coming in and out. For anything more personal such as a mental health chat, consider whether your conversation may be overheard.
Kit List –
- X1 TP first aid kit
- X1 First aid manual (specific for first aid kit)
- X1 Leader Manual (processes for physical and mental first aid)
- X20 (one each per participant plus a couple extra) printed health diaries
Other considerations –
- Health clinics should be started during briefing not just in the village, participants may fall ill on entry to Fiji and some volunteers can experience ill mental health adjusting, acclimatising and when tired after a long journey – so ensure you are available at clinics and vigilant at briefing for anyone who may be overwhelmed.
- Ensure all first aid is performed in hygienic conditions. Wash your hands in before and after administering first aid and use appropriate PPE e.g. gloves for treating wounds. Dispose of these after each use.
- Where appropriate and possible have 2 leaders in a health clinic. Benefits include two opinions, ability to treat multiple volunteers at once, but importantly, this also protects leaders liability and promotes safeguarding. You may feel this is inappropriate for instances such as mental health chats which are better done in private.
Essential – Complete a health diary entry for everyone who attends a health clinic/reports illness. Where appropriate you may wish to photograph ailments (e.g. infected cuts, mosquito bites/rashes – with the participants permission)