Founded 1983 Area served worldwide | Location Bonn, Germany Slogan Help that lasts | |
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Type Medical humanitarian organisation Key people Maria Furtwängler, Peter Eigen | ||
German Doctors e.V. is a humanitarian aid organization which operates in third world countries, especially in slums and rural areas. About 300 voluntary doctors are sent to Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Sierra Leone and the Philippines each year to help those, who cannot help themselves. German Doctors has been awarded with the official donation seal DZI (German Institute for Social Affairs). Since 2013, the head quarter is located in Bonn, Germany. President of the curatorship is German actress Maria Furtwängler.
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History
German Doctors e.V. was founded in 1983 as „Ärzte für die dritte Welt“ in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The idea was to create a charity organisation with German doctors, who work without remuneration in the third world countries. The doctors use their annual vacation to work for the project.
Funding
The doctors do not receive any payment for their services and also contribute half of the travel expenses. Furthermore, they do not receive any stipends nor allowances. Currently, German Doctors operates 8 medical projects, based in 5 countries. The projects are mostly funded with donations. According to the website, the total income generated in 2015 was about 8,3 Mio. € (among them 5,8 Mio. € donations and BMZ-value 1,4 Mio. €).
Function
In the medical health centers as well as ambulances and rolling clinics of their long-term projects, German Doctors e.V. offer free medical service for the poorest of the poor. In order to ensure the continuity, the deployment of doctors is organised with overlapping transition phases . Therewith, there are always several German doctors on site. In order to facilitate the adaption to the local culture, mentality and religion of the patients, the doctors work together with local nurses and health workers. and try to instruct them to basic medical supply.
Since 1983, more than 3100 doctors were involved in more than 6700 missions all over the world. About 20 % of the missions were performed by senior doctors over the age of 62 years.
Kolkata/India
In 1983, the first mission took place in Kolkata. Since then, more than 1300 medical deployments were carried out. Nowadays, German Doctors run several hospitals and ambulances in the slums of Kolkata and Howrah. Next to the basic medical healthcare, the work in Kolkata focuses on fighting tuberculosis, which is still rampant in the urban slums. There are always six doctors present. More than 60.000 treatments per year can be managed there.
Cebu/Philippines
Since 2004, German Doctors work on the island of Cebu on the Philippines. Over 120 medical missions were fulfilled in the slum-ambulances. There are constantly two doctors present at this medical station to help those, who are too poor for public medical care services. Moreover, the diagnostics and treatment of tuberculosis is one emphasis of the project. Each year more than 20.000 patients can be examined by German Doctors.
Mindanao/Philippines
On the island of Mindanao on the Philippines, German Doctors started operating in 1985. Since then, more than 1900 medical operations were undertaken. There are three slum-hospitals in Buda, Cagayan de Oro and Valencia City with six long-term doctors, who are taking care of the poor patients.
Mindoro/Philippines
German Doctors started their work on the “Smokey Mountains”, the dump sites of Manila, and the huge slums of Tondo. In Bagong Silang, an eviction landscape with 300.000 inhabitants, a medical centre was built in 1983. Since 2002, a a medical rolling clinic team continuously visits the indigenous people of the neighbouring island Mindoro. Over the years, the focus of operation has shifted from Manila to Mindoro. Since 2002, more than 470 medical missions have taken place.
Chittagong/Bangladesh
In Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh, German Doctors work since 2000 and performed over 270 medical deployments. The doors of the medical centre are always open for those in need. Regularly, the doctors also make home visits. Amongst others, basic healthcare, feeding programs for malnutritioned children and services for pregnant women and mothers are being offered.
Dhaka/Bangladesh
In Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, German Doctors is active since 1989 and organised more than 480 deployments of German doctors. There are always two doctors in the medical station on site; additionally, the doctors visit the urban slums with a mobile clinic to provide healthcare services. The medical work is complemented by several feeding- and educational programs to enable children to have a better future.
Nairobi/Kenya
In Nairobi, capital of Kenya, the German Doctors operate since 1997. In the “Mathare Valley”- slum, an area without access to potable water, electricity and waste disposal. About 400.000 people live in these circumstances. Six German Doctors help to improve the living conditions healthcare-wise on a sustainable basis. Together with local staff, more than 600 patients canbe consulted by German doctors every single day. Another main focus of the project is the treatment of patients with AIDS as well as a feeding-program to combat child mortality.
Serabu/Sierra Leone
More than 130 medical mission were organized in Serabu Community Hospital by German Doctors since 2010. There are always five German Doctors on site who support and instruct the local co-workers. A major task is to combat child mortality by offering prenatal care. Having one of the highest child mortality rates world-wide, this is one of the biggest challenges in this region. After the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic, German Doctors remained in operation on site and upheld their medical service.
The association
„German Doctors e.V.“ is a charitable association registered at the district court in Bonn, Germany. In 2006, Dr. Harald Kischlat became the new managing director. The association is financed by donations, federal funds for development aid and allocation of fines. In 2015, the expenditures of the 8 medical projects were all in all 4,7 Mio. € - including the expenses relating to the deployment of doctors from Germany, more than 300 nurses, translators, drivers and additional programs. The expenditures for administration and public relation amounted to 14,1 %. German Doctors also support 66 partner projects in 23 countries.
A board of trustees acts as a control instance with the medical doctor and actor Maria Furtwängler as president. She is supported by one doctor and former Bundesbank president Hans Tietmeyer. German Doctors is member of or supports the following associations: Bündnis Entwicklung hilft, Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft, VENRO, Aktionsbündnis gegen AIDS.