Eco-Health Program
 

Sustainable Volunteer Ecuador’s Eco-Health Program is located in the Amazonian jungle communities around the jungle town of Puyo.  This program will give volunteers the opportunity to learn about the importance of healthcare and the evironment in rural Amazon healthcare, while at the same time observing clinics and hospitals in an urban setting in Quito.  Volunteers will complete their 40 hours of Spanish Language training during the first 2 weeks of the program in Quito and the last 2 weeks in the Amazon will be dedicated solely to clinical observation in the morning and afternoon.  As in all of SVE’s medical volunteer programs, students’ activities will mainly be limited to learning through observation, however, there will be opportunities to examine or interview patients, depending on the circumstances.

Volunteers will visit the following clinics:

Dispensario del Municipio de Mera (Mera Municipal Clinic):  Generally, volunteers make visits to communities and families that can not make it to the clinic.  The overall number of patients seen is smaller, however, the volunteer is able to move around and visit different communities.

Centro de Salud El Dorado (El Dorado Health Centre): This centre is parto f the Ministry of Public Health and will have between 10 – 20 patients daily.

Jatari: Jatari is a mixed indigenous community (Kichwa and Shuar).  It is closet to Palora and provides an interesting opportunity for volunteers to experience indigenous life and traditional medical practices in the Amazon jungle. 

Students must be aware that the Eco-Health Program takes place mainly in rural areas of the Amazon jungle and that are lacking urban luxuries (warm water, laundry machines, etc.) and where food will be basic (rice, yucca, fish, meat, etc.).  For security reasons, participants stay in Puyo.  For those looking for an adventure and a unique opportunity to experience ancestral medicine in the Amazon jungle, this is the perfect program.  Also, the combination of 2 weeks of clinical and hospital observation/rotations in Quito will allow volunteers to experience and better understand the challenges facing both urban and rural healthcare in Ecuador.

The Eco-Health Program will include some extra costs (approximately 30 USD) that will cover public transportation (Quito – Puyo – Quito) and various activities in Palora (natural/plant medicine tour, jungle tour, etc.).  These costs must be covered by the participant.

Program Costs

The cost per month is $1,800.00 (USD).  Please see our program fees page for a list of what this price includes.