The Mobile Clinic joined the United Nations Open Day on 24 October, outside the Ledra Palace crossing in Nicosia’s UN buffer zone, following an invitation from the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Cyprus.

Held to mark UN Day, the event brought together members of the UN family in Cyprus and the wider community for an afternoon celebrating peace, solidarity, cooperation and community engagement.

Under the supervision of Dr Sotiris Dimosthenous, the students offered free health assessments to a total of 57 patients throughout the event, including blood pressure and blood glucose measurements. The Mobile Clinic welcomed visitors from both sides of the divide, providing an opportunity to promote health awareness and engage with the community in a unique setting.

The students also had the opportunity to meet and exchange experiences with military medical personnel serving with UN peacekeeping forces, gaining insight into their work and responsibilities.

The students stand alongside Mr Khassim Diagne, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNFICYP, who gave the keynote address and also received a health screening during the event.

“My experience with the Mobile Clinic in the United Nations Buffer Zone allowed me to put my skills into practice, while being surrounded by colleagues who made the experience even more memorable. Being able to interact with and help patients made me realise that I am in the right career and wouldn’t change it for anything. Expanding my knowledge of basic medical examinations will certainly help me in the future, as I will be carrying them out every day when caring for patients.”

Alvaro Gomez Perez
MD Year 4

“Being part of the Mobile Clinic at the UN Open Day was an incredibly rewarding and memorable experience. For the first time, I had the opportunity to put the clinical skills I had learned the previous year into practice by measuring blood pressure and blood glucose levels in members of the public. It was especially fulfilling to contribute to the community at an event that brought people together to celebrate peace in Cyprus. The experience was not only enjoyable but also gave me a greater appreciation of the value of community outreach and the role we can play as future doctors in promoting health and well-being within the community. It was an experience I genuinely loved and one that made me even more excited about the journey ahead in medicine.”

Arnav Mehrotra
MD Year 2