From Dutch physician to Rotary Doctor

Dick Jungst (NTC 2009) shares his experiences

I was a physician for over 30 years before going to Kenya as a Rotary Doctor for the first time in 2006. Although I had only limited knowledge about practicing medicine in a tropical country, most of it from books, I had plenty of good intentions and a useful capacity to improvise.

In 2009 I retired from general medicine. I finally had time to build my knowledge and skills by following the Netherlands Course in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (NTC) at KIT, which prepares doctors, nurses and midwives to work in low and middle income countries. For almost fourteen weeks I travelled daily from Almelo to Amsterdam, studying hard alongside other passionate students. I had a wonderful time during the course, learning and discussing with fellow students from different countries, each bringing to the course his or her unique experiences, perspective and ideas.

Working as a Rotary Doctor in Kenya
Currently, I am one of the project coordinators for Rotary Doctors. Rotary Doctors work in Kenya with local teams and mobile clinics. We make daily rounds, ensuring weekly visits to several locations – many of which are 20-40 km away from the nearest hospital or health facility. By going to these remote places, we can provide medical care to people who have no access to transportation.

Much of what I learned in the NTC has helped prepare me for the work of Rotary Doctors. Besides knowing about tropical diseases and epidemiology, it is important to be able to analyse the local situation, help set up self-sustainable dispensaries, make choices regarding the use of available funds, and collaborate effectively with your team and with the Village Health Committee.

Rotary Doctors publishes a newsletter which includes information about post-graduate training opportunities such as the NTC and volunteer opportunities abroad. We try to encourage as many doctors as possible to volunteer. Many of them have worked in the past as tropical doctors. Rotary Doctors’ approach is widely appreciated by the people we reach, and we are frequently asked to expand our activities to more communities.

The most rewarding aspect of this work is helping people discover what they themselves can do to improve health care in their villages. For me personally, it is always heart-warming to come away knowing that we have been able to communicate and understand each other, and that I’ve been able to share my knowledge to build their self-sufficiency. For this, the NTC has been essential preparation.

Read more

In Dick Jungst's blog (in Dutch) you can read more about his experiences.

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