FAQs

A Few Things To Know About Travel To East Africa

The East Africa Medical Assistance Foundation can direct you to the appropriate agencies for organizing a trip to East Africa. However, here a few things to know:

Q?

What does EAMAF stand for?

A.

The acronym stands for the East African Medical Assistance Foundation.

Q?

What does KCMC stand for?

A.

KCMC is the primary hospital that EAMAF works with and the letters stand for the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre.

Q?

How long has EAMAF been in existence?

A.

EAMAF was founded in 1988.

Q?

Where does EAMAF support go?

A.

Our primary efforts support the KCMC hospital in Moshi, Tanzania. This is a reference and teaching hospital and the they provide medical support to Northern Tanzania and their students are distributed throughout Tanzania.

Q?

How can I help support these efforts?

A.

You can volunteer your skills in a variety of ways, contact us for details, or provide financial assistance, the need is great.

Q?

Where is KCMC located?

A.

KCMC is located in Moshi, Tanzania at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, 3 degrees south of the equator.

Q?

How would I get to KCMC from the US?

A.

Moshi, Tanzania is serviced by KIA (Kilimanjaro International Airport), with international flights from Europe arriving daily.

Q?

How large is KCMC?

A.

The hospital is a 630-bed hospital providing all specialties, including a cancer center.

Q?

How many radiologists work at KCMC?

A.

There are currently 4 radiologists supporting the hospital and School of Radiology.

Q?

Is lodging available near the hospital?

A.

The hospital maintains a house for use by the radiology department to house visitors. In addition, there are some good hotels located nearby.

Q?

If I travel to KCMC to volunteer can I also go on safari?

A.

Definitely, Tanzania has much to offer in their game parks, climbing Kilimanjaro, or along the coast. We can assist you with travel plans, or you may arrange them on your own.

Q?

Kilimanjaro christian medical center radiology department

A.

KCMC is a 630-bed teaching hospital at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and is the site of the first radiology residency in the country.  The residency was founded in 1987 by Dr. Helmut Diefenthal and his wife, Rotraut Diefenthal. There are two-year residency programs for AMO physicians (assistant medical officers) and four-year residency programs for MD residents. The US does not have the equivalent of AMO physicians whose scope is broader than physician’s assistants, in addition, they function as physicians. The majority of our AMO graduates provide the only radiology expertise in their local hospitals, and the graduating MD radiology residents are becoming leaders in their field in Tanzania.

Q?

HOW DO I GET THERE?

A.

There are international flights to the Kilimanjaro International Airport, including flights from Amsterdam. Some visitors have flown to Nairobi Kenya and taken land transportation, but we cannot recommend that route at this time. Volunteers are required to pay for their own flights.

Q?

WHERE DO I STAY?

A.

An efficiency apartment in the doctor’s compound will be rented for you as part of your volunteer fees. Because of limitations in lodging and the size of the department, we try to limit visitors to one or two during the same time period. There are restaurants and a hospital cafeteria, but food in nearby markets is plentiful.  There are always many visiting physicians from North America and Europe working at KCMC at any given time, giving an international flavor to the hospital. A rental car is useful but not essential.

Q?

HOW LONG DO I VISIT? WHAT DO I DO?

A.

If you are traveling in East Africa, and want to stop for a day or two to see the hospital and program, please do! If possible, let us know ahead of time when to expect your visit.

If you want to volunteer, we encourage visits of a month or longer. Most visiting physicians want some time to see the sights of Tanzania. It also takes some time to get over jet lag and get used to the routine.

Q?

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

A.

EAMAF does not have resources to provide special travel or health insurance policy to volunteers. Consult your insurance company regarding coverage provided by your policy while abroad. We strongly recommend that all volunteers procure medical evacuation insurance prior to departure

Q?

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SEE?

A.

Where do we begin? You will be near the Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Oldupai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and of course, Mount Kilimanjaro. Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar are a short flight away. Safaris can be arranged through companies in the US, Europe, or through local companies.

Q?

TRAVEL RESOURCES

A.

Taking care of your health

Department of State Travel Resources

Department of State Travel Resources

Logistical Planning

  • Flights: EAMAF Volunteers may use any travel agent they choose to handle their flight arrangements.
  • Passport: Be sure that your passport is current and be aware that some countries require visitors to have a passport that is valid six months after they have left the country.  Make sure that you have enough pages in your passport for the visa(s). More passport info.