Midwifery elective placements in Arusha, Tanzania
Arusha's hospitals are typical of the care available in most Tanzanian cities. Unlike Mwanza and Dar es Salaam, there is no tertiary referral hospital, so it's a great option if you want to see what healthcare is like for the majority of the country.
Government regional hospital - Our placements are based in the largest government run institution in the area, with a busy Maternity Unit with 20-30 births a day. Placements cover everything from Delivery, Neonatal, Intensive Care, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and there are excellent opportunities and scope for patient interaction if students make themselves useful to supervisors.
Government district hospital - The small unit within the district hospital has antenatal, labour and postnatal wards. They typically deliver up to ten babies per day. Working alongside one supervisor allows you to develop your relationship with them and get more patient interaction in a range of treatment and care, as well as get more involved in the whole patient journey.
Primary healthcare clinic - These are run by the council and can be very small and basic. Your role will cover a wider variety of areas and there are good opportunities in maternity work, paediatrics, vaccination programmes, malaria treatment and family planning.
Don't forget - if your preferred speciality is not listed, give us a call as we can usually accommodate most requests. You could also think about other opportunities to make more of your elective:
Split placements - If you are in Tanzania for more than three weeks, it's a brilliant place to do a split placement. We will give you time in both the regional or district hospital, or in the primary healthcare clinic. If you wish to travel further afield we can also arrange half your placement at our Dar es Salaam or Lake Victoria programmes.
Village healthcare experience - Village healthcare experience - Tanzania is famous as the home of the Maasai tribe. To complement your city placement, we offer a fantastic opportunity to live in a rural village where you will spend a week working in a local dispensary. Although it is unlikely you will be involved in any deliveries, you will learn about primary healthcare within rural communities and may have opportunity to talk with them about family planning. Spending afternoons with a guide learning about Maasai culture is a unique cultural experience. Read more on our Arusha Village Healthcare Experience page.