Medical caravan in Morocco: Mobile dermatology

• Published in: Hautarzt Vol. 66; no. 5; pp. 342 - 346
• Main Authors: Fluhr, J W, Mockel-Kocks, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Dermatology - organization & administration; Europe; Germany; Global Health; Humans; International Cooperation; Medical Missions, Official - organization & administration; Medically Underserved Area; Mobile Health Units - organization & administration; Morocco; Skin Diseases - diagnosis; Skin Diseases - therapy; Tropical Medicine - organization & administration; Morocco; Europe; Germany
• ISSN: 1432-1173
• DOI: 10.1007/s00105-015-3622-0

This publication is based on personal experiences gathered during participation in several "medical caravans". These caravans where under the leadership of either a Moroccan nongovernmental organization (NGO) or a Belgian NGO. Medical caravans are multidisciplinary mobile groups that offer basic medical care in rural areas. The location usually changes every 1-2 days. The physician team comprises more than 10 different specialties including midwives, psychologists, nurses, hearing instrument specialists and podologists. The work was supported by Moroccan caregivers (fluent in French, Arabic and Berber). They were able to reduce the linguistic and cultural barriers as well as fear and insecurity thus creating an environment of trust for the consultations. The spectrum of diagnosed and treated dermatoses included benign and malignant cutaneous tumors like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, infectious skin diseases, inflammatory dermatoses like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis as well as genodermatosis. The personal satisfaction and the feeling of being able to contribute to medical support for an underprivileged population in a remote rural area outweighed critical aspects, e.g. regarding the sustainable effects of a temporary medical caravan.