New call for hospital volunteers

Volserv, which offers structured voluntary services at hospital, is calling for more volunteers to join a new training course that will kick off next week.

More than 150 volunteers joined Volserv last year and also helped out with the migration to Mater Dei Hospital in November. There are around 100 volunteers currently working at the hospital.

Volserv, which was officially launched in April last year, is a partnership between SOS Malta's Malta Resource Centre and the Health Ministry.

Volunteers are currently working in outpatient clinics by helping out with basic reception duties and accompanying patients who need to visit other clinics. Last month they also started helping out in wards.

The volunteers have also gone into paediatric wards to try and entertain the young patients through balloon shaping and face painting, among other activities.

Apart from the basic training, volunteers are also receiving specific training depending on the areas in which they are working. This includes specific training for those working with children and for those in the surgical and orthopaedic wards.

Moreover, from the beginning of the month volunteers have been offered psychological support in the form of group therapy.

The basic training course will start on Wednesday, March 26. More information can be accessed by calling SOS Malta on 2124 4123. Applications can be downloaded from www.mrc.org.mt.