Russian medical volunteers go international

On December 1, over 150 medical volunteers from 20 regions of Russia and Kazakhstan took part in the first forum “From Local to Global: Being a Medical Volunteer in the 21st century”. Training in first-aid skills, lectures on challenges to global health, and the legal framework for volunteering — the program included interactive forms of communication between volunteers and experts. The forum united active medical volunteers who are willing to work in international charity projects.

 “How to behave in non-standard situations, what experience of promoting a healthy lifestyle can be taken in other countries, how to improve intercultural communication skills ... A 21st century medical volunteer can do much more than just provide first aid. The Forum brings together the best and gives the strongest ideas a chance to be realized at the global level”, - Daria Belimova (Peoples' Friendship University of Russia) - Regional Coordinator of the Volunteers-Medics All-Russian Public Movement in Moscow.

The organizers paid special attention to language training and intercultural communication practice. So, all medical volunteers can take a free Learn Medical English distance learning course.

RUDN University students from 8 countries held exhibitions and networking sessions “Healthy lifestyles around the world” for the forum participants. “RUDN University unites caring people who come to learn, make friends, and develop. This forum fits the spirit of our university - it is young, medical, creative, international and interactive,”- Alexey Abramov, Director of RUDN Institute of Medicine.

“The Volunteer Medical Movement is the largest volunteer movement in Europe. The request for volunteer assistance for the implementation of the international humanitarian mission is huge. We are currently working on 4 requests for the opening of intercountry offices. And we pay special attention to proficiency in medical English,” Pavel Savchuk, chairman of the Volunteers-Medics public movement, deputy director of the Federal Center for support of volunteering and mentoring in the field of health protection of the RF Ministry of Health.

Participation in the international charity agenda was also supported by Diana Dzhalalova, Head of the Directorate for Program Implementation of the Association of Volunteer Centers: “Volunteers from Russia are already recognizable in the world. For example, already 19 Russians became UN volunteers for a year. We support those who have ideas or projects of volunteering.”

According to the results of the forum “From Local to Global: Being and Medical Volunteer in the 21st Century” a federal register of medical volunteers will be formed for participation in international volunteer projects.

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The Volunteers-Medical All-Russia Public Movement, founded in 2013, by Sklifosovsky Institute Volunteers project activists, brings together more than 20,000 people in 81 regions of Russia and is one of the largest volunteer health organizations in Europe.

The idea of organizing international cooperation in the field of medical volunteering arose in 2017, at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi. In 2018, the Year of the Volunteer in Russia, the project of the Volunteers-Medics All-Russian Public Movement and RUDN Institute of Medicine “Creation of the Federal Program for the Development of International Medical Volunteering for Russian Youth” became the winner of the competition organized by Rosmolodezh.