Background: The health care access is very limited of people living in low-income countries. Medical students studying in these countries are deprived of the experienced medical educationalists as a result of emigration. State-wide strategies are needed to solve these problems; However, individual efforts from local medical institutions (and foreign help) play a major role. Temporary rural (free-of-charge) clinics were set up by national and international charities, which often represent the only source of healthcare in many deprived rural communities in Sudan. Method: Determined to use the model of old rural clinics, models have been implemented in educational and charitable programmes in the form of a cohesive medical camp targeting six deprived areas in North Sudan in January 2019, with the collaborative approach between the Medical School at the University of Khartoum (Med-U of K) and Cambridge University Hospital Foundation Trust (CUHFT). A structured medical education programme was performed for the benefit of the participating medical students. In addition, the village patients were reviewed as part of a comprehensive mobile clinic pathway, all free of charge.
Results: More than 115 medical personnel have participated in a 3-day students-led camp where approximately 680 patients were examined and treated. Medical education, delivered by senior staff, received a global positive feedback and measurable outcome was confirmed in the improvement of students’ confidence in conducting various bedside clinical skills.
Conclusion: Combining charity and education in this implemented (student-led) project, with the benefits and experience of an international collaboration, received positive feedback by all involved personnel (medical students, educationalists and local patients). This sustainable and reproducible model that can be applied across many areas, particularly for countries those have deprived communities (e.g. refugee camps) and rural villages with low-income.
