Africa Calling

Lifestyle and logistics

Doctor's quarters, Vryburg, North-West Province

Simple sanity: a different outlook on life.

For those needing champagne and city lights, the life of a rural health professional is potentially not a great choice. Facilities and equipment may be limited, and infrastructure may be erratic. But there are also substantial advantages, such as a safe and simple life, idyllic surroundings and diverse travel and leisure options, with quite an active social life.

Using a service such as Africa Health Placements also enables you to choose a location that DOES offer the kind of facilities to suit your personal and family needs, such as proximity to appropriate schools, or the availability of specific sports and recreation types. Many hospitals offer accommodation for doctors and other staff, but others are not so fortunate, requiring you to find your own place to stay. Another issue you need to take into consideration is transportation – generally, it is advisable to have your own car, as distances are quite large.

For foreigners, there are also issues like tax and pension legislation to think about, as well as a fairly lengthy application and registration process.

It may all sound quite daunting, but AHP is here to help, from getting you to the region, to helping you settle in. Our intimate knowledge of the regions and facilities can assist you in making the right choice. What's more, we will soon have a searchable online database of all facilities, allowing you to find what's right for you, at leisure.

We also offer an orientation service, to help ensure that you know exactly what to expect when you get there, and are able to settle in as smoothly as possible. We stay in regular contact to ensure that you have some support out in the field, and are also in the process of ensure regular access to conferences, training sessions … and access to fellow health workers across the region.