20 March 2025
The University of Nicosia Medical School’s mobile clinic programme marked a significant development last weekend with the introduction of paediatric services and the resumption of spirometry testing, following the COVID-pandemic, in Fterikoudi village.
The expansion brings specialised children’s health services to the rural community for the first time, operating under the supervision of Prof Zoi Dorothea Pana, Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology. ‘This new initiative focusing on children champions volunteering among medical students, enhancing their communication skills and core competencies in paediatric care’, says Prof Pana. ‘By delivering essential health services to underserved communities, it nurtures hands-on experience, equipping students for future medical challenges’.
The clinic provided comprehensive health screenings, including blood pressure measurements, glucose testing, BMI calculations and respiratory assessments, which were supervised by Dr Michalis Toumbis, pulmonologist at the UNIC Medical Centre.
Karoline Bergheim Elnaes, a second-year medical student from Norway, highlighted the practical benefits: ‘Under Prof Pana’s leadership, we engaged with children and their families, providing essential health screenings. Dr Toumbis’s expertise in spirometry and respiratory health gave us deeper insights into pulmonary assessments’.
The local response has been positive, according to second-year medical student Amir Mansouri from Iran: ‘The village residents deeply respected the mobile clinic and were genuinely appreciative of our presence. Grandmothers brought us homemade cookies and sweets as a gesture of thanks, and villagers went out of their way to invite others to take advantage of the medical services’.
This expansion of services represents a significant step forward in providing accessible healthcare to rural communities whilst offering valuable training opportunities for medical students.
