- Small Arms Research
Trainee interns undertaking research in developing countries have the opportunity to participate in a small arms research project.
The small arms project aims to look at the incidence of injuries, and to assess the health and economic impacts of them and the context in which they occur. The application of this data can have far reaching consequences. Firstly, comparisons and contrasts can be made between different regions throughout the globe for example South East Asia with Eastern Africa, in terms of type of weapon available, their use and their respective supply. Secondly, we hope that the amount and quality of data present is powerful enough to lobby respective regional and local governments and make them aware of the burden small arms are creating. If they cannot be reached or convinced directly, then eventually with enough data international publications and medical journals can convey the message indirectly. Thirdly, the simple act of conducting the research at these hospitals increases awareness of the issue and may result in hospital based primary prevention strategies or the rise of community advocates. Lastly, the act of gathering data, meeting survivors and talking to their families increases the awareness of the individual student and their immediate network at home – creating the beginning of a small shift or ‘tip’.
The project works by elective students taking with them simple survey forms that would be filled out with each small arms trauma admission. These forms include basic demographics of the individual, information on the circumstances of injury, type of weapon used, context, injuries sustained, treatments applied and lasting health problems. There is also a small section on costs both directly to the individual and indirectly to the health system. The hope is that this becomes a continuing project within hospitals once the elective student has left – either with hospital staff or future elective students at that hospital. The data or raw survey forms would then be taken back to New Zealand, collated and placed into a database. It is a relatively simple idea that has the potential to easily generate large amounts of data. Considering the large number of students leaving New Zealand each year for third world hospitals, it would create a very large network of participants. Having a student at the hospital running and promoting the use of the survey forms is much more powerful then just sending forms via an email request. A typical elective period of approximately 6-8weeks is also a significant amount of time to get a snapshot of the area and to decide whether there is a problem within that region.
- Fiji Village Project
MSGA in conjunction with Australian Medical Students and students from the Fiji School of Medicine are working on a collaborative project based in a Fiji Village.
The aim is to assess the needs of the village and provide basic health screening and help in UN based water sanitation projects.
There are 7 students leaving this January, they have been able to successfully secure sponsorship to set up 2 water sanitation tanks and screen school age children in the village. We are hoping that this becomes a self sustaining project and that young doctors will also become involved.
