Helping young Venezuelan doctors scholarship

Junior Doctors Sponsorship Programme

Report

August – November 2023

It's the last months of this year, and the Junior Doctors are in the final stretch of their academic year. Inflation continues to plague the country's economy, and the doctors are not spared. However, thanks to the contributions of donors, it is possible to continue with this program where not only the doctors who receive scholarships are benefited but also hundreds of people who are treated daily by the doctors.

How the Programme Works

The sponsorship requests come from the heads of discipline in hospitals where junior doctors are training. Once a request is received, our National Project Coordinator verifies the information and shares it with the board. If approved in the UK, we request the heads of medical departments in Venezuela to provide the documentation as per our guidelines.

The criteria to participate are:

• The applicant is from a low-income background, and her/his financial situation jeopardises their training
• The applicant does not receive any additional support from scholarships schemes similar to Healing Venezuela´s
• The head of department/head of discipline proposes the applicant
• The applicant must keep an average of 15 points (over 20), or if less, it needs to be justified by the sponsor
• The applicant commits to remain two years in the country after finishing the training

The documents requested are:

• Studies certificate from the university
• Form filled
• CV
• Testimonies, when required

Once these have been received and verified, the new applicants are included in the list of grantees. Cash transfers are done at the beginning of the month through a money transfer outfit in the UK, Roraima Remesas, to each doctor’s bank account in local currency. If a doctor leaves the programme, the head of the department proposes new candidates to replace them. The National Project Coordinator verifies that payments are made by checking the invoices and keeping in touch with the beneficiaries via email and WhatsApp.

The number of scholarships is allocated considering the size of the hospital, the population density of the catchment area, and the requests from the heads of discipline. Table 1 shows the number of scholarships allocated per hospital.

Impact

The impact of this programme has multiple dimensions. First, it allows young professionals to continue their education, increasing their probability of higher income. Second, with the exodus of doctors and such a high percentage of poverty, junior doctors keep hospital wards open, allowing the poorest Venezuelans to receive medical attention.

            Testimonial

Name and surname: Desire Del Carmen Gonzalez Gonzalez

Hospital: Dr Pedro Garcia Clara. Zulia

University: La Universidad del Zulia

Specialist: Internal Medicine

Date: August 2023

How do you feel when you receive the monthly scholarship?

Dissatisfied                                   Neutral                               Grateful

                                                                                                     X

Do you think the scholarship helps you in your financial situation?

                              Yes                           Neutral                               No  

                                X

Do you know a colleague who is in a position to need this scholarship?

Yes                         No

 X

Conclusion

The commitment, dedication and hard work of these young professionals, who work with very few resources, deserve all the support we can provide. Organisations such as GlobalGiving and others made a big difference in the lives of thousands of Venezuelans in 2023. We hope we can count on their generous support in the near future.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.unhcr.org/uk/venezuela-emergency.html
2. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/venezuela
3. https://observatoriodefinanzas.com/venezuela-al-borde-de-la-hiperinflacion/

Table and photos in the PDF attachment 

• GG_Report_August__November_2023.pdf (PDF)