Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid in more than 70 countries to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.

The main purpose of the Position

Supporting the Project Medical Referent (PMR) through delegated tasks and responsibilities including administrative tasks, ensuring good relationships with local and national authorities and ensuring adequate program management in the project, according to MSF protocols, (para)medical standards, rules of hygiene and the standard precautions in order to ensure the delivery of quality medical care for patients and their communities as well as to improve the health conditions of the targeted population. Support the PMR in consultations of staff, validation of reimbursement and health briefing for national staff.

Accountabilities

• Support the PMR in safeguarding the medical ethics and the quality of medical programming (i.e. relevance, effectiveness, safety, accessibility and appropriateness of MSF’s medical interventions as well as “best practices”
• Ensure that jointly with the EH, ITFC and Outreach teams, the IPC standards are kept in the project
• Establishing and supporting in the development, monitoring and evaluation of new records management systems in the hospital in collaboration with the Data supervisor and mission EPI; this include monitoring, verifying and evaluating existing data collection and hospital records systems with the PMR
• Supports the PMR with introduction of regular reporting of Patient Safety Incidences
• Arranging medical meetings and checking hospital daily census with the support from the PMR
• In close collaboration with the medical managers and the PMR, review and support the implementation of medical related protocols, procedures and standards in respect with MSF policies and guidelines
• Participating and reviewing reports (Mortality and Morbidity reviews, hospital dashboards, sitreps, Quarterly and annual reports) with the PMR
• Informs the PMR and Project Coordinator of any constraints, problems or rumours, of any events that could possibly affect the safety of colleagues, or could compromise the implementation of MSF programs
• Ensure standard reporting system in place and timely reporting should be implemented
• Working closely with the Isolation team; together with the PMR, supporting for any need to liaise with the data supervisor and ministry of health

Administrative

• Regular communications with the outreach team on the referrals to ITFC
• Assists in translations, formulations of letters, interpretations whenever needed
• Set up accurate filing systems and ensures that they are being maintained; as well as supporting the establishment of project library
• Ensure ab. solute professional confidentiality of all sensitive information related to MSF under his/her responsibility and whichever other information he/she has access to that could possibly affect MSF in Dubti district/ Afar region
• Provide contextual overview report for monthly sitrep
• Participating in redesigning medical strategy

Liaising

• Establish and maintain professional contacts with relevant authorities (DGH management; CEO, Medical Director etc.) depending on the current context in the Afar and needs of the project; provides relevant medical context infor-mation to PMR and sharing the information got from the community
• Support PMR with the collection of data information on procedures
• To network with the health cluster, nutrition cluster, EOC ect. Whenever there is a need with the PMR
• Ensures information gathering, and provide analysis and interpretation on the Regional legislation and regulations on humanitarian issues and activities of INGOs in Afar region to improve operation coordination
• Keep complete and updated detailed list of all useful contacts of health actors in Afar/Samera with names, tele-phones, email addresses and other relevant information
• In close collaboration with the project pharma, monitor donations given to MOH
• Working closely with the PMR, support and define coordination mechanism (at various regional level in Afar) and liaise with the MOH for emergency preparedness and response to ensure effective and efficient means of coordination and information sharing during an emergency
• Ensure regular communication with the MOH rapid response team
• Attend regular health and emergency response meetings, in the absence of the PMR
• Liaise with other NGOs regarding emergency response, with the support from the PMR
• Performing other duties at the request of the PMR

I. MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

Patient referral

• Register and follow up on patient referrals, both staff and beneficiaries. Keep the patients’ referral database updat-ed and share with the PMR on regular basis.
• Be the focal point for contact with Dubti General Hospital, regarding the issues of MSF referrals to Addis Ababa or any tertiary hospital in the region
• Updating the referral process in a regular basis, in collaboration with the PMR.
• Ensure contra-referral forms are included in the documentation of all referral cases
• Ensure that jointly with the EH and IPC managers/supervisors, the ambulances have necessary equipment, cleaned and disinfect the ambulance post referral
• Supervise referrals from outreach to Dubti General hospital ITF

Staff health

• Open medical files for all our national staff
• Serve as back up to the Staff health doctor in case of the absence of the latter one for consultations and referrals of staff to the validated Clinics in Logiya and Semera including DGH.
• Verify reimbursement requests prior to validation by the PMR
• Review the national staff health policy with the PMR, MAM and NAM; present to all staff in Afar
• National staff health briefing and presentation to all new staff in the project
• Adhere to medical confidentiality rules, especially regarding staff health.

Job Requirements

I. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

Education: Medical Doctor diploma or equivalent in a related allied health.

Experience: Minimum 2 year’s experience working in an emergency context; MSF experience is an asset

Essential: good understanding of the functioning of the different Government bodies and NGO community in Ethiopia in General or Afar region

Medical Liaison officer is required to have some background and skill proficiency in the following areas

• Proficiency in administrative tasks
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken)
• Ability to communicate effectively with the medical team and most especially the ministry of health staff
• Familiarity with MSF digital record systems is an asset
• Experience in emergency preparedness, planning and response is an asset
• Experience in staff health is an asset

Language: English, Amharic and Afari essential

• Essential computer literacy (Word, Excel, Power point)
• Management experience is an asset