Plenty of Boston health care workers are involved with the Lasker award-winning Doctors without Borders, including US president Dr. Deane Marchbein, an anesthesiologist at Cambridge Health Alliance. They were cited for their work during the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
They are holding a recruitment meeting on Sept 21 at the Boston Public Library Commonwealth Salon
230 Dartmouth St.
Every day, Doctors Without Borders aid workers from around the world provide assistance to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe—treating those most in need regardless of political, religious, or economic interest. Whether an emergency involves armed conflicts or epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters, Doctors Without Borders is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis.
On Monday, Sept. 21 medical and non-medical professionals are invited to join us for an evening presentation to learn more about how you can join Doctors Without Borders’ pool of dedicated aid workers.
An aid worker and Field Human Resources Officer will discuss requirements and the application process, and you’ll meet experienced Doctors Without Borders aid workers from the Boston area and hear their firsthand stories of “life in the field.”
Dr Marchbein spoke to the Globe when she was chosen for the post in 2012.
Q. Tell me about a dangerous spot where you have worked.
A. I spent this winter in Lebanon, working on getting medical supplies into Syria. Health facilities, doctors, and nurses were targeted. Since we were not sure we could keep the team safe, we had to abandon the idea of putting them in the field. So I Skyped with medical counterparts to understand what they needed and I taught a trauma course in Lebanon for those who might be going to Syria. And we were finding ways to get medical supplies in there.
Q. How did you do that?
A. Basically it’s about consorting with smugglers. There are thousands of years’ worth of well-worn smuggling routes from bordering countries. So instead of flatscreen TVs, they were smuggling in medical supplies.
Here are a few more Boston docs involved with the group.
Jonathan Spector, Boston-based pediatrician
From WBUR: John Welch, a nurse anesthetist at Boston Children’s Hospital on his Ebola mission.
