ABOUT VOLUNTEERING

TLC currently operates two medical teams, one operating on the Tonle Sap Lake and the other along the Steung Sen River. Each team consists of doctors, nurses and midwives, a dental nurse, a cook, a boat driver and a medical records registrar. TLC is happy to consider doctors, medical students/interns, nurse-practitioners and physical therapists.

The teams go to the villages on a weekly basis, and each trip lasts for three days. The length of the journey to the floating clinics depends on a lot of factors, among others the water level (which rises and falls by several meters depending on the season) and the distance to the village. We have a TLC van that ensures transportation from the TLC office to a port, where a TLC boat will transport the team to the clinic.  On the lake we have a fast two-engine catamaran, called ‘The Taxi’, and along the river we have a smaller boat, the ‘TLC-3’.

During the mission, accommodation and meals are provided by TLC. You will have to cover the costs of staying in Siem Reap before and after the mission, and we will be happy to help you sort out a hotel or guesthouse nearby. Because adapting to the heat and time-zone may take some time, we advise you to arrive in Siem Reap at least 2 days before the first day of the mission.

A fourth “administrative day” is also expected and volunteers are asked to join in for the team’s Mission Report on the day following the return to port. This is a time to review how the clinic functioned and to discuss any interesting cases that may have presented. Volunteers will be asked to provide continuing medical education for the team based on their observations made while on mission.

We provide clean towels, a mattress, a pillow, a camp bed and a mosquito net for each mission. All food and water is provided. The clinics have electricity, a toilet and a shower.

Antimalarials are not required on the Tonle Sap Lake nor in Siem Reap but remember that there is malaria elsewhere in Cambodia.

Due to limited space, we advise volunteers to fit their items in a medium sized backpack. Items you should bring include;

• Personal toiletries (toothpaste and brush, soap etc)

• Personal toilet roll

• Torch/flashlight

• Change of shirt/blouse for each working day, trousers, socks underwear

• Sunglasses

• Camera

• Insect repellent

• Personal entertainment gadgets such as iPod, books / Kindle, laptop etc

• Your own stethoscope

• Mobile phone and local sim card (we recommend Metfone)

• Comfort food

• Photos of home, family and friends to share viewing with the staff

Please be advised at this time The Lake Clinic is not able to accommodate volunteers who have a vegetarian or vegan diet. Our cooks can make mild accommodations for volunteers such as pescatarian or Halal/Kosher diets however, due to the nature of our meal time schedule and available foods on the lake we are unable to provide adequate vegan/vegetarian options. We apologize for any inconvenience.