Background
UN field personnel are exposed to various health and security hazards that may result in disease; psychological trauma and life threatening injuries. Dedicated, effective primary health, occupational health and emergency medical services may mitigate negative outcomes of trauma, injuries and health complications providing better chances for saving lives as well as for faster and better recovery.
The Health Manager, UN Dispensary Physician, is part of the UN common services of the UN country team in Somalia and administered by UNDP.
The Health Manager, UN Dispensary Physician will attend to the UN Dispensary on a full time basis and provide medical services to staff members and their dependents. In addition, he/she will facilitate for medical evacuations where with the support of UN Joint medical service in Nairobi (UNJMS). The Health Manager, UN Dispensary Physician is responsible for the day to day running of the UN Dispensary and he/she manages the UN Dispensary staff and physical assets (equipment and inventories), ensures consistent delivery of high quality medical services to the UNCT. The Health Manager, UN Physician will also be responsible for medical examinations of staff, a responsibility he/she will share with other designated UN Physicians.
Under the overall management of the UNDP Deputy Country Director, Operations, the administrative supervision of the Head of Sub-Office, Hargeisa and the technical supervision of the Head of the UN Joint Medical Services, the Health Manager, UN Dispensary Physician, will provide clinical services including medical consultations and emergency care, and supervise the work of the staff nurse. The incumbent will promote proactive occupational health policies and best practices and procedures in the medical services in conjunction with Administration and in collaboration with UNJMS with the objective of optimizing the health and well-being of UN staff in Somalia. This will include outreach to staff and dependents in the areas of preventative health. The dispensary doctor is expected to take part in the HIV work in the UN work place as outlined in UN Cares and UN Plus. S/he is part of the emergency response team and will as such work closely with DSS in implementing casevac and mass casualty response. This will be done in collaboration with the external Medical emergency response teams present.
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:
- Clinical Duties
- Medical Administrative Duties
- Supervisory Administration
- Coordination of UN Cares activities
- Knowledge building and sharing
Clinical Duties:
- Respond to acute emergencies in line with international protocols such as advanced trauma life support management and advanced cardiac life support. or Pre Hospital Trauma life support;
- Be able to do triage, primary stabilization and keep a critically ill patient alive in a casualty stabilization center for up to 48 hours;
- Undertake day-to-day clinical duties, e.g. walk-in clinic, pre-placement and periodic medical examinations and immunizations;
- Provide health education;
- Participate in addressing work environment and occupational health issues;
- Undertake medical examinations for UNDP and UN Agencies international and local staff and dependents;
- Diagnose and recommend treatment to all staff visiting the dispensary on a daily basis;
- Be on call during and outside office hours to observe and treat emergencies in the UN Dispensary. Undertake house calls when required;
- Attend to medical emergencies and arrange for hospital appointments and transportation when needed;
- Recommend medical evacuation when required.
Medical Administrative Duties:
- Liaise with other dispensaries in Somalia and host-nation medical facilities;
- Follow the United Nations established policies and procedures regarding medical clearances, sick leave and medical evacuations;
- Responsible for all paper work and reporting procedures for medical evacuations in line with UN Rules and procedures
- Ensure proper follow up on all cases;
- Application of terms of reference in UNDP Personnel/Administration manuals for rules and regulations regarding UN dispensary operations;
- Responsible for establishing good relations with reliable hospitals, private medical facilities and blood banks;
- Ensure that proper medical records are kept in a strictly confidential manner;
- Provide evaluation from the clinical point of view of problematic claims for medical insurance.
Supervisory Administration:
- Manage day-to-day mission medical support operations by ensuring availability of supplies and proper functioning of medical equipment;
- Ensure that appropriate training programs are implemented in order to maintain and develop the medical capabilities (e.g. health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, first aid and CPR);
- Responsible for regular reporting on dispensary activities, medical facilities available locally and other statistical information as may be required;
- Responsible for the supervision and distribution of work for the nurse(s) and other staff of the UN Dispensary.
Coordination of UN Cares Activities:
- Planning and organization of training of focal points and peer educators;
- Arranging the dissemination of UN policies on HIV/AIDS;
- Conducting an education and information campaign;
- Organizing Annual awareness events on HIV/AIDS in Somalia.
Emergency Medical Response
- Arrange for briefings and information releases to staff at large on health-related issues;
- On demand, arrange blood contribution drives at the UN Dispensary;
- Participate in the deliberations of nationwide health related issues.
Impact of Results
The key results have an impact on the general well-being of all UN staff in the sub-office. They relate to the medical assessment of cases and on the suggested course of treatment, referral, etc. The services rendered and the decisions taken can have a direct and vital effect sound physical and mental health of UN staff in Somalia.
Competencies
Functional Competencies:
Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda (For UN Coordination)
- Creates effective advocacy strategies
- Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
- Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
Results-Based Programme Development and Management (For UN Coordination)
- Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach
- Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it
- Makes use of a variety of resources based on UN/UNCT priorities to achieve results, such as cross-functional teams, secondments and developmental assignments, and collaborative funding approaches
- Oversees and documents the process of strategy formulation for programmes at country level
Building Strategic Partnerships (For UN Coordination)
- Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UN/UNCT’s strategic agenda
- Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to the UN/UNCT’sstrategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts
- Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UN/UNCT’s mandate
- Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
- Effectively attentive to programmatic synergies in inter-agency meetings
Innovation and Marketing New Approaches (For UN Coordination)
- Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals
- Generates for regional and innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems
- Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of new approaches
- Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
- Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image
Resource Mobilization (For UN Coordination)
- Develops detailed knowledge and understanding of key donors, their priorities and areas of interest and adapts content and approach of resource mobilization activities to their requirements
- Builds and maintains relationships with donors demonstrating professionalism in providing advice and information on UN activities and sensitivity to donor concerns
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing (For UN Coordination)
- Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
- Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise (For UNDP and UN Coordination)
- Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
- Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
- Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
- Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments
- Knowledge in Health related issues.
- Intermediate Technical Knowledge (at the graduate education level) of the theories, principles and methods in one of the following areas:
- Public Health, International Health, Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health Sciences, Population and Family Health
- Health Research, Biostatistics, Sociomedical Sciences, Epidemiology
- Health Education, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Educational Interventions in Health Care
Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals (For UN Coordination)
- Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
- Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level
Client Orientation
- Anticipates client needs
- Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
- Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective
Core Competencies
- Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
- Building support and political acumen
- Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
- Building and promoting effective teams
- Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
- Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
- Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
- Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
- Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced University Degree in Medicine, from an accredited University and currently licensed to practice within home country or other national jurisdiction;
- Valid certification in Advanced Trauma Life support, Advanced cardiac Life support OR Pre hospital trauma life support is required;
- Certification in HIV care OR VCCT is desirable.
Experience:
- At least five (5) years progressive experience and practice in general medicine in developing countries or countries in conflict, of which at least two years in Trauma and Emergency care;
- Surgical, ICU, aeromedical or anesthetic experience is an advantage;
- Experience in Tropical Medicine;
- Previous UN medical system/international medical experience or military medical experience with priority in international tasks is highly desirable;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) is expected.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN Language is an asset.