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NOV / DEC 2014
I
Healthcare Journal of new orleans
Reynaud has over 25 years with MSF
and Dhand recently returned from her first
assignment. They’re among hundreds of
medical professionals from around the world
who volunteer to provide medical care for
those who don’t have any. Founded in 1971
by doctors, nurses, journalists, and others,
MSF “was created on the belief that all people
have the right to medical care regardless of
gender, race, religion, creed or political affili-
ation, and that the needs of these people out-
weigh respect for national boundaries.”MSF
provides free medical care to anyone in need,
often after a natural disaster or in a war zone.
“They’re an organization that does go into
a lot of conflict areas, a lot of disaster areas
that other people are hesitant to enter,” says
Reynaud. “One of the big goals is not just to
provide relief but also to bear witness to the
situation of those people. What do they have
to deal with on a daily basis? Coming in and
participating with it, I think that’s a great way
of publicizing the plight of a lot of people all
over the world.”
Dhand worked for 10 months in two ref-
ugee camps in South Sudan. She returned
“exhausted” and needing time with her fam-
ily, but she wants to do it again.
“It puts things in perspective for me. It
makes me take a step back and be really
grateful for the things that I do have,” she
says. “There are no insurance companies
in these places, so you’re not practicing a
defensive medicine; you’re actually doing
medicine-medicine, which is why I love
being a doctor. The physical exam and talk-
ing to the patient – it’s so fun.”
Any medical professional and
those with skills needed to sup-
port hospital operations can apply
to go on short-term or long-term
missions anywhere MSF has identi-
fied a need. Some projects offer assis-
tance after a natural disaster until the
damaged infrastructure is repaired. Vol-
unteers on call for what Reynaud calls “the
emergency desk” go into a disaster area
and assess what’s needed, as he did when
a cyclone caused widespread damage in
southern Bangladesh.
doctors without borders
South Sudan.
©Andreea Campeanu
Medical care for IDPs in
Mingkaman, South Sudan.
©David Di Lorenzo/MSF