Doctors without Borders - Assignment Example

Introduction Doctors Without Borders is an organization that was founded in France and comprises of doctors who travel to different countries to offer medical help. It is also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres. It is situated in Switzerland at Geneva. Its employees comprise of doctors who volunteer their services to the organization. It receives its main funding from well wishers and small donations from governments and corporations. It was founded in the year 1971 by a small cluster of French journalists and doctors who believed that all people should be able to receive medical attention. Its main work is in countries facing tragedies such as war or famine. The organization also operates in third world countries that face major issues in health (Redfield 66). It is an independent organization that is non-partisan in issues such as religion, economics and political issues. In 1999, the organization was recognized for its efforts and awarded a Nobel Prize. Its volunteers face numerous problems including death in countries affected by war. Its current missions are in Cambodia, Libya, Sri Lanka and in several African countries. Handling of Ebola The doctors working for the organization are currently trying to eradicate Ebola, which has become a complex issue due to its nature and spread. The disease is currently killing thousands of people in Africa. This year has seen the worst effects of the disease compared to other years. It started in Guinea in 2013 and later on spread to neighboring countries. It has mainly affected the western parts of Africa. However, the disease has recently found its way in countries such as the United States of America and Spain. Ebola is believed to originate from animals. It spreads in human beings through direct contact or when one comes into contact with body fluids and blood that is infected (Stimola 44). It also spreads through contact with objects that have been contaminated by an infected person. Dead bodies of people who had been infected before can also lead to contamination of the disease. The disease has an incubation period of twenty one days. Infected persons are often isolated from the general public to avoid infections. Poor health structures in parts of Africa have fuelled the spread of the disease. Doctors Without Borders responded to the disease outbreak in March 2014. It is currently situated in three of the most affected countries. The countries are Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The organization has a staff that totals up to 3,347. The organization has also suffered directly from the epidemic (Stimola 55). There have been reports that 23 of the organization’s staff got infected and only eight of them have so far recovered. The organization has been providing medical services to infected persons. It has also been creating awareness on the disease by encouraging and creating awareness among members of the public. The organization is also training local residents in affected countries on how to deliver messages and create awareness in areas they are yet to reach. Training helps the locals to identify possible calamities and institute counteractive mechanisms to prevent their adversities. The organization has created centers meant to accommodate potential and infected victims in the affected countries. It also moved swiftly to Uganda, an East African country, to handle cases of a fever with similar symptoms as Ebola. The fever is known as Marburg (Feldman 66). The organization helped in reinforcing Ugandan health capacities. This empowered the country in treating the disease and controlling infections and since then there have been no other reported cases of the fever. However, doctors without borders seem overwhelmed by the disease and have called for help from other bodies. In previous years it was able to treat and control the disease in some African countries. It totally contained an Ebola epidemic in Uganda in the year 2007. In a bid to control the disease, the organization has six centers meant for Ebola maintenance. It has almost 600 isolation beds and has admitted high numbers of patients. Out of 5,200patients, 1200 have been able to fully recover. Solving Issues in the World Doctors Without Borders have an open minded philosophy that enables them to serve all people regardless of their race, religion or political affiliations. Their main aim is to promote better health services to people who are most vulnerable and poor. They also reinforce counties with medical facilities, which are not well equipped. They, thus, play a major role in helping people who need medical services (Fox 45). The doctors also have a philosophy that believes that boundaries should not hinder people from receiving medical attention and accessing better health services. It is this notion that makes them access many countries with poor health facilities. The doctors offer their services to countries facing war, natural disasters and epidemics. They also get involved in countries with insufficient health services. Doctors without borders also get involved in situations at the request of a country. There are countries that may need the organization’s impact and reinforcement. They will, thus, request it to come through. They also get involved through concerns raised by people over the suffering of others in countries undergoing strife (Parry 33). The doctors sacrifice their time, energy and devote themselves to alleviating suffering in strived countries. The organization is guided by objectives before getting involved in a specific country. They always evaluate the nature of the situation, security and the kind of aid required. Doctor’s Location, qualifications and how they solve problems Doctors working for the organization do not have any specific location because they work in different locations over a certain period of time. However, their main location is situated in Switzerland’s city, Geneva. This is its main headquarters for Doctors Without Borders (Morley 78). Doctors working within a given area reside within their centers from where they offer services to people. They are also located close to their areas of work. The organization believes in the necessity of proximity for enhancing performance and ensuring the quality of services to humanity. Doctors who volunteer for the organization have to meet certain requirements. The requirements are meant to ensure that professionalism is maintained in the organization. Doctors willing to volunteer should have an experience of at least two years. They should be available for a period of nine to twelve months. They should also be able to live outside their comfort zones and possess the ability to work with different kinds of people (Vachon 88). Doctors are required to be flexible and dynamic. Lastly, doctors who wish to volunteer should be able to use computers and should be committed to the principles governing the organization. Flexibility and dynamism are critical because they promote the willingness of people to work across diverse organizations. The organization solves problems depending on the magnitude of the problem. They first identify the problem before evaluating it. Evaluation of the problem involves identifying the nature of the problem and its urgency. It also involves measuring the level of security within the area where the problem has occurred (Suen 55). They also evaluate the kind of aid that would be required in solving the problem. The organization relies on a team of medical officers and other specialists such as logisticians in solving the problem. This is because Doctors Without Borders believes that the local people understand their people’s problems and can easily solve their problems. The organization runs quite a number of missions all over the world. It mainly concentrates in areas undergoing some problems. It also concentrates its work in areas with poor health facilities. However, the organization works mostly in African countries. It has been active in most parts of the continent. It sometimes works singe handedly to provide health, water and food to some African countries. The organization offers help to people throughout the world. It works in countries struggling with humanitarian issues. However, not all people get help from the organization. The organization caters for those who are poor and cannot afford medical services. They also help people who are most vulnerable and are helpless (Skolnik 89). The organization offers its services to people who are weak and more affected by a crisis or situation. Donations and Salaries The organization receives funding from donors, corporations and governments. This enables it to pay its doctors. Doctors working for the organization are regarded as one of the best paid professionals. Doctors are paid depending on their working position. The lowest paid doctor earns $49,417 while the highest earns $50,102 (Skolnik 87). The organization gets its supplies from donations made by philanthropic people, organizations and governments (Siebert 66). The organization has more than 5 million donors. It also purchases its own supplies through money channeled to it. The organization’s volunteers work together as a team. This ensures that there is maximum cooperation when there is a problem. One of the requirements for volunteers is that they should be flexible, dynamic and able to work with different people (Morley 77). This requirement ensures that volunteers cooperate when there are problems. The organization offers free services to people. The organization deals with people who are poor and undergoing some strife in their lives. Most of them cannot afford health services. The organization is, thus, obliged to offer free services to people. Conclusion Doctors without borders is an organization that was founded in France and comprises of doctors who travel to different countries to offer medical help. It is also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres. It was founded in the year 1971 after the secession of Biafra (Fox 22). Its head office is situated in Switzerland at Geneva. The most recent controversial issue the organization is working on is Ebola. The disease is currently killing thousands of people in Africa. This year has seen the worst effects of the disease compared to other years. Doctors without borders responded to the disease outbreak in March, 2014. It is currently situated in three of the most affected countries. Doctors Without Borders have an open minded philosophy that enables them to serve all people regardless of their race, religion or political affiliations. It is this notion that makes them access many countries with poor health facilities. Their main aim is to promote better health services to people who are most vulnerable and poor. The organization solves problems depending on the magnitude of the problem. Doctors willing to volunteer should have an experience of at least two years (Redfield 66). They should be available for a period of nine to twelve months. The organization is a blessing in disguise to many countries especially countries affected by war and both undeveloped and developed countries throughout the world. Works Cited Feldman, Heinz. Ebola and Marburg Viruses: Molecular and Cellular Biology. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2004. Print. Fox, Renee. Doctors Without Borders. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. Print. Morley, David. Healing Our World: Inside Doctors Without Borders. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print. Parry, Ann. Doctors Without Borders. New York: New York University Press, 2008. Print. Redfield, Peter. Life in Crisis: The Ethical Journey of Doctors Without Borders. London: Earthscan Publications Limited, 2013. Print. Siebert, Sebastian. Cause Related Marketing: A Substitute for Direct Donations? Massachusetts: McGraw Hill, 2014. Print. Skolnik, Richard. Essentials of Global Health. Massachusetts: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print. Stimola, Aubrey. Ebola. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Suen, Anastasia. Doctors Without Borders. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print. Vachon, Marc. Rebel Without Borders: Frontline Missions in Africa. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 2008. Print. Read More