Program location
The town of Ficksburg is located at the foot of the Mpharane Mountains in the Eastern Highlands region of South Africa. It is the only town in the region on the Lesotho border and is an important trade route between South Africa and Lesotho. The town is also known for its Sandstone Mountains and great rock formations.
Climate/weather
South Africa is a big country just south of the tropic of Capricorn, but it is the topography and surrounding oceans that influence its climate rather than the latitude. Although the climate varies from region to region, it is generally mildly sunny throughout the year. On the whole it is a dry country with a mean annual rainfall of 502 mm. Snowfall is limited to the highest mountain peaks. Summer temperatures average between 15-30ºC (60-96ºF) at midday.
Mailing address
Maluti Adventist Hospital, Private Bag X019, Ficksburg OFS 9730, South Africa
Program description
Site size
The Maluti Adventist Hospital has 160 patient beds, of which 70 percent are regularly occupied. The staff sees an average of 60 outpatients per day, and the maximum group size is ten.
Services offered at the site
| Antenatal clinic | Outpatient clinic |
| Church evangelism | Pediatrics |
| Clinical laboratory | Physiotherapy |
| Community Development | Public health education |
| Dentistry | Radiography |
| Family planning | Records administration |
| Infectious disease | Staff training |
| Labor/delivery | Surgery |
| Ophthalmology |
Languages
There are 11 official languages in South Africa: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sotho, Swazi, Tsongo, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu, and Pedi. The English-speaking visitor will have no problem while traveling through the country.
Accommodations
Participants will be lodged in either a guesthouse or mission home. Students can choose to eat their meals with other students in the hospital cafeteria or hire a cook to prepare meals in their home. Other amenities at this site include running water, hot showers, and possible house cleaning services.
Transportation to site
Participants are responsible for arranging their own air travel. Participants will fly to the international airport in Maseru, Lesotho. From there the hospital will arrange transport for the participant from the airport to the site in a hospital vehicle. The site is located 50 miles from the airport and travel time is estimated at 1.5 hours.
Eligibility
The hospital recruits experienced students and professionals in all health professions.
Program fee
Program fees include food, lodging, and transport from the arrival airport to the site. Program fees do not include air travel or personal travel while in the country. The following costs are based on a four-week stay and subject to change in conjunction with the site.
| Housing cost: | $10.00/night |
| Food cost: | $10.00/day |
| Transport to site fee: | TBD |
| Estimated total cost: | TBD |
Country information
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/south_africa/
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Entry requirements
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1229.html#p
Last Revised: Tue, Jan 09, 2007
