The health care industry in the USA is one of the most lucrative, in-demand career fields one could enter; so much so that many doctors and nurses from the developing world leave their home countries seeking work in the US or other places where higher wages can be found.
So imagine trading in your lucrative career in the health care industry to become a long-term volunteer in a remote corner of Uganda’s public health system. I recently spent a week with a team of Serge medical missionaries who did just that in Bundibugyo, Uganda, a distant community cut off from the rest of the country by the lofty Rwenzori mountains. Each member commits to a minimum of five years’ time, but most put down roots that stretch far beyond that.
By relocating to Uganda, these health care professionals’ services are in demand now more so than ever. Take Rhett Wheeler, for instance, shown below fitting a disabled child with a new wheelchair. He’s one of only a handful of physical therapists in the country, and the only one in this district of roughly 250,000 people. Patients even cross the border from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo to seek out his services.
The video piece at the top of this post gives a glimpse into the daily work of this team, but it also shows how raising up local Ugandans to work in the health care system is of critical importance in addressing the long term needs of Bundibugyo’s people.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” – Luke 10:2
