At its core, the concept of the Floating Clinic is to create a regional community asset that brings direct services and support to the ultra-rural populations of the Lake Tanganyika basin.

The Boat
The Floating Clinic will be housed on board a 200-foot, 600-ton, displacement hull, custom-built vessel. The ship will travel from village to village along the lakeshore, remaining in each location for up to two weeks, depending on population size.  At each area, the LTFHC will set up an onshore patient registration area, using mobile medicine technology developed in military theaters, where straightforward care will also be available to patients on land.  Onboard medical facilities will include two operating rooms, a delivery room, pharmacy, and laboratory, as well a small intensive care unit and in-patient ward.

Education
In the United States, the LTFHC has developed relationships with several academic medical centers (AMC), including the University of Chicago Medical Center in Chicago, IL, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. We continue to explore opportunities to partner with additional AMC around the country looking to expand their global health programming.  Many of these centers actively seek out opportunities to provide international medicine training as well as international rotation opportunities for medical students, residents, and attending physicians.

Environment
The LTFHC is committed to promoting environmental stewardship in the Lake Tanganyika basin.  We will use green technologies both onboard and onshore and, where appropriate, utilize biofuels and safe waste management practices in order to preserve the local ecology and minimize the flow of pollutants into the lake.

For details about vessel construction, time-line, and funding or partnership opportunities, please feel free to contact us »