What Can Student-Run Free Clinics Do for Rural Ethnic Villages in China?

The Sunshine and Love Free Clinic Rural Medical Trip Initiative to Dimen Village

Abstract

The Sunshine and Love Free Clinic is China’s first and only student-run free clinic. Two successful outreach projects to a rural ethnic village, Dimen, by the volunteers of the clinic took place in 2015: a pilot project focusing on women’s health, and a larger medical service trip focusing on record building and clinical visits. While the indigenous healing is a great recourse, four major health-related issues were identified through these projects: women’s health and reproductive health; chronic illness care; a lack of formal medical training among the village clinic staff; and a lack of patient record system. This article proposes that a summer service trip model can be utilized by student-run free clinics in China to tackle these issues, and provide sustainable intermittent long term health care for the rural ethnic China in a culturally sensitive manner.