AUSSIE DOCTORS BECOME VIRTUAL AID WORKERS
An innovative medical volunteer program will allow Australian doctors to ‘virtually volunteer’ in international relief efforts.
The Twice The Doctor Foundation allows health professionals to volunteer without ever leaving Australian clinical practice.
In partnership with UNICEF and The Fred Hollows Foundation, Twice The Doctor Foundation involves health professionals volunteering a day of pay per year which goes towards employing doctors and other healthcare workers on the ground in Africa.
Many doctors have already volunteered with funds going toward programs around the world including Sierra Leone where infant mortality is almost 8 per cent and one per cent of mothers die during childbirth.
UNICEF Health Programme aims to reduce these deaths by training over 4000 health care providers.
Twice The Doctor Director, Dr Robert Baume said the program is a way for health professionals to volunteer from their current practice.
“Many doctors and health professionals would love to volunteer in Africa or similar developing world program,” Dr Baume said.
“The realities of a busy practice and family life often prevent them from ever actually making the journey.”
The Twice The Doctor program allows doctors and other health professionals to simply donate the income from one day (about 0.5% of your annual income). Those funds are used to employ doctors and primary healthcare workers in Africa.
“It’s a way to ‘virtually’ volunteer to make a real difference and one day of pay for an Australian doctor goes a long way in Africa,” Dr Baume said.
The Twice the Doctor Foundation provides doctors with the vehicle to “virtually” make this important journey in an incredibly efficient and effective way.
“There is an enormous disparity in doctors wages between Australia and the Third World. A doctor in Africa gets about $12,000 per year and a nurse about $2,000 annually.
“One day of pay for an Australian doctor is equal to about one month for an African doctor and about six months for a nurse.
“The Twice The Doctor program allows us to amplify the power of Australian doctors.
“It’s about using our heads and our hearts to really make a difference.
Doctors Day in May ( May 21, 2015) marks the annual fundraising day for Twice the Doctor Foundation with more than 800 doctors expected to participate, with a goal of raising over $I million and thereby providing the funding to train over 2500 primary health care workers in Africa. Doctors who volunteer can choose the program they wish to help. General public can also donate towards the program.
For more information go to www.twicethedoctor.org.au
ABOUT THE TWICE THE DOCTOR FOUNDATION
The Twice The Doctor Foundation allows doctors to work for a day in their own practice and effectively be twice the doctor for a whole month.
Twice The Doctor is a unique virtual volunteering program where doctors donate their earnings for one day per year and their earnings go towards employing a doctor in Africa for a month (or a nurse for up to six months).
More than 330 Australian doctors have already volunteered with a special annual event, Doctors Day in May planned for May 21, 2015.
Funds will go towards UNICEF Health Programme and The Fred Hollows Foundation on programs in Sierra Leone and Kenya.
In Sierra Leone, funds will go to training up to 4,000 health professionals to help reduce infant and maternal mortality. Almost 8 per cent of infants die within their first year and one per cent of mothers die during childbirth.
In Kenya, funds will go towards training local eye surgeons and eye health workers to restore sight to those who are needlessly blind. Four out of five people who are blind don’t need to be. The Fred Hollows Foundation can restore sight for as little as $25.
Doctors who volunteer can choose the program they wish to help. General public can also donate towards the program.
FUNDRAISING: AUSTRALIAN PHILANTHROPIC SERVICES – CFN/23162
For more information go to www.twicethedoctor.org.au
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Sophia Day 0425 338 410 / 02 9369 5544 sophia@brandnewsolutions.com.au
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