NPR

We Asked, You Answered: Are Fly-In Medical Missions Helpful Or Harmful?

Our readers weigh in on volunteer missions, where Western medical workers spent a short time in a poor country providing free care.
Source: Chris Nickels for NPR

For decades, doctors and nurses from rich countries have flown to poor countries to perform surgery and provide other medical care not readily available. They stay for a limited period of time. Then they head back home.

That model for providing care is being reconsidered, as health reporter Joanne Silberner wrote in a story we published this spring.

We wanted to hear from our readers: If you've been part of a fly-in mission, what was it like? What were the

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
From Pandemic To Protests, The Class Of 2024 Has Been Through A Lot
Pomp and circumstance again fall victim to circumstance for some students in the graduating class of 2024, as protests over the war in Gaza threaten to disrupt commencement ceremonies.
NPR3 min read
What's Making Us Happy: A Guide To Your Weekend Viewing And Reading
Each week, Pop Culture Happy Hour guests and hosts share what's bringing them joy. This week: Vanderpump Rules recaps, the book The Worst Ronin, and a duet by Pavarotti and Celine Dion.
NPR2 min read
Brian Wilson Of The Beach Boys Is Being Placed Under A Legal Conservatorship
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the conservatorship Thursday, noting that Brian Wilson suffers from "a major cognitive disorder." Wilson has agreed to the conservatorship.

Related Books & Audiobooks