Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children
The Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) is a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing modern medical care to disadvantaged families worldwide.[1] FIMRC currently conducts medical care clinics or projects in seven countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, India, Nicaragua, Peru and Uganda.
History
FIMRC was founded in 2003 by Vikram Bakhru, a then-medical student (at George Washington University). Today, FIMRC coordinates the volunteer efforts and clinical rotations of over 700 people annually, and has provided medical care, either directly or indirectly, to hundreds of thousands of children, mothers and families across the globe.
Foundation goals
FIMRC seeks to provide medical care in underserved areas by:
- Provide healthcare to underserved communities across the globe
- Facilitate public health campaigns in the communities in the catchment area of FIMRC's project sites
- Encouraging students, healthcare professionals and those interested in giving back to the larger global community to become involved in its mission through service and leadership and volunteering at their project sites
Activities
FIMRC operates a Global Health Volunteer Program aimed at immersion in the local health care system, as well as community development. Speciality program is also available depending on academic and professional needs. Sample programs include: CHIRP (Comparative Healthcare Immersion Rotation Program) as an elective credit rotation program designed to provide third and fourth-year medical students with exposure to healthcare in developing countries. Students who participate in CHIRP typically receive focused lectures, clinical exposure, community health experience. Additional programs include the Summer International Health Fellowship, their Internship Program, a Nursing Rotation Program, among others. FIMRC also partners with UniversalGiving, an online nonprofit organization to offer its volunteer placement program in countries listed below.
Locations
Costa Rica
In 2005, FIMRC established a clinic in San Felipe, Alajuelita (approximately 5 km outside San José). Serving the largely Nicaraguan refugee population of San Felipe, Jasmín, and Los Pinos, the clinic provides women and children with consistent access to desperately needed healthcare, health monitoring, and health education. The clinic directs its efforts towards treating and preventing health concerns such as head lice, malnutrition, persistent bronchial infection, gastrointestinal microbe infections, unplanned pregnancies, alcoholism, drug addiction, and HIV.
El Salvador
FIMRC operates a clinic in Las Delicias (near San Salvador) that seeks to treat gastroenteritis, influenza, malaria, measles, pneumonia, and bronchitis, each of which is caused or complicated by the malnutrition, poor sanitation, and poor housing conditions that the children of Las Delicias experience.
Dominican Republic
FIMRC operates in Restauración, Dominican Republic, just 12km from the Haitian border. FIMRC works to improve access to quality healthcare and is integrated heavily into the community, driving both health education and construction projects, such as a latrine program to the most vulnerable of the population.
India
FIMRC now operates a fully functional rural clinic, partners with local hospitals as well as local creches to provide clinical and preventative health services to the people of Kodaikanal.
Nicaragua
FIMRC provides medical care to children living in the rural western town of Limón, Nicaragua, which is near the city of Rivas through its very own Pediatric Health Program, a program offered to the community free of charge and boasting the region's only specialized clinical services. FIMRC also operates a number of community-based programs, such as the Diabetic Program, Developmental Group and Prenatal Program.
Peru
FIMRC volunteers in Peru work directly with the Ministry of Health to treat and educate Peruvians. This is done by offering hands-on assistance to medical doctors in hospitals, operating interactive health education workshops in local schools and orphanages, and forming cultural connections with local communities through various activities.
Uganda
FIMRC operates a clinic in rural Uganda in Bududa, Mbale and serves nearly 18,000 patients a year. FIMRC's clinic was the first to establish an innovative station system developed by FIMRC staff members aimed at improving clinical function. Community members have also been trained and make up part of the outreach team, which reaches nearly 100,000 people per year and focuses on relevant health issues in the area.
References
- ↑ website. Retrieved 5 February 2014.