Program location
Chipata is an small yet important town acting as the gateway to South Luangwa and as a border town before the country of Malawi.
Climate/weather
Although Zambia lies in the tropics, its location on an elevated plateau ensures that the climate is seldom unpleasantly hot. There are three seasons, cool and dry from April to August, hot and dry from September to October, and warm and wet from November to March. Average temperatures range from 23º C in winter to 30º C in summer, when conditions can be humid.
Mailing address
Mwami Adventist Hospital, Private Bag 5, Chipata, Zambia
Program description
Site size
This hospital has 210 patient beds and 65 percent of these are regularly occupied. The site sees an average of 60 outpatients per day, and the maximum group size is three.
Services offered at the site
Languages
The official language of Zambia is English, but as many as 13 different languages are spoken in various parts of the country. For the most part Zambians speak English fluently except in rather remote locations. At this particular site, Nyanja is a commonly spoken language. In the hospital, 80 percent of staff speak English and only 50 percent of patients speak English.
Accommodations
Participants will be housed in a guesthouse or mission home. Meals are not provided, but students may hire a cook to prepare meals for them. Fresh food is available for purchase at local markets. Other amenities include laundry service, running water, and house cleaning help for a fee.
Transportation to site
Participants are responsible for arranging their own air travel to the international airport in Lilongwe, Malawi. SIMS and the site will arrange for transport in a hospital car from the airport to the site. The trip is about 80 miles and travel time is estimated at 2.5 hours.
Eligibility
The hospital recruits students and professionals from in the following fields: medicine, nursing, international public health, health administration, epidemiology/biostatistics, health promotion, laboratory technology, and medical records.
Program fee
Program fees include food, lodging, and transport from the arrival airport to the site. Program fees do not include air travel or personal travel while in the country. The following costs are based on a four-week stay and subject to change in conjunction with the site.
|
Housing cost: |
$5.00/night |
|
Food cost: |
$10.00/day |
|
Transport to site fee: |
$30.00 |
|
Estimated total cost: |
$480.00 |
Country information
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/zambia/
http://www.africa-insites.com/zambia/
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Entry requirements
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1229.html#p
Comments from a former student intern
I saw that things are done so much simpler here. There are no strict protocols, no private room to whisper words of comfort—everyone sees, everyone knows. Pain and suffering are accepted.
Last Revised: Wed, Jan 10, 2007
