Overseas Volunteer Doctors

Background

Calcutta Rescue has a team of qualified doctors who provide medical services at three clinics, two schools, and in street medicine vehicles.  Some of the doctors have worked for Calcutta Rescue for over 20 years and are personally committed to serving the very poorest people in deprived communities.  

Calcutta Rescue looks for ways to improve the efficiency and impact of its medical services .This includes training assistants in the clinics to take on more skilled tasks to support the doctors.  Overseas volunteers play an important role in improving the skill levels in the busy clinics.  

Legal basis

Overseas qualified doctors are not registered with the local Medical Council.  They are based at Calcutta Rescue’s clinics and work under the supervision of a qualified Indian doctor.   Only the Calcutta Rescue doctor will prescribe treatment thus protecting the legality of Calcutta Rescue and the overseas doctor’s position.

The roles

  1. Chronic disease management clinics (diabetes, hypertension, asthma etc) who are in a stable condition clinically. Overseas volunteers may be asked to audit work in these areas and review existing protocols .
  2. Help to develop health screening proforma and work on health screening.  
  3. Auditing of medical data and presentation at the Doctors’ Meeting and Medical Audit Committee including diabetes and MCH data .
  4. School health program-Health screening of the students in Calcutta Rescue’s schools, including assisting with medical examination of newly admitted children; ensuring children have been immunised, had Vitamin A and antihelminthic as per protocols; and to monitor children on the nutritional programme.
  5. Training Indian Health Assistants to take over some of the responsibilities in the future.
  6. Quality improvement activities that are self identified and may improve clinical care .
  7. Conducting mandatory training activities eg Resuscitation , infection control , safeguarding .
  8. Working with Outreach team and help deliver training that is needed.
  9. Participate in monthly Doctors meeting .
  10. Update medical risk register
  11. Help to develop standards of Street medicine interventions
  12. Work on climate change in medical field.
  13. Maintain high standards of professional practice and competence in line with professional code of conduct or relevant professional body and local health authorities.
  14. Draw upon the best available, relevant and up to date evidence in order to inform current or new guidelines and protocols. Work in accordance with the audit committee and multidisciplinary team in order to implement such guidelines/protocols.
  15.  Provide ongoing evaluation and reports to the team as a whole as well as the relevant senior management and support groups.
  16.  

Essential Qualities: 

  • An experienced Registered Doctor 
  • Experience in assessment/treatment of Chronic diseases
  • Good interpersonal/ communication skills 
  • Good knowledge of written and spoken English 
  • Computer literate 
  • Flexibility/Adaptability with a sense of humour 
  • Ability to work well in a multicultural team 
  • Commitment to volunteering overseas 

Desirable Qualities:

  • Knowledge of tropical medicine 
  • Travel or work experience within a developing country 
  • Knowledge of Bengali or Hindi Language

Reporting to:

Deputy Chief Executive Officer