Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 31 May 2016
Position: General Surgeon (Full time, Temporary)
Location: Kapoeta, Kapoeta South County
Line Manager: Hospital project coordinator
Technical Manager: Hospital project coordinator
Supervising: Junior medical doctors, clinical officers, medical assistants, others as assigned
Country Program Overview
Since 1994 American Refugee Committee (ARC) has been operating in South Sudan which covers five states with programs and services reaching over 400,000 returnees, IDPs, refugees and host community members.
Currently, ARC implements programs in Primary Health Care and Gender Based Violence but is currently expanding to Secondary Health Care WASH, and Food Security. ARC has program activities in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Central and Eastern Equatoria. This project will be implemented in Kapoeta Civil hospital.
Broad Description of Role
The General Surgeon is responsible for the clinical care and managerial oversight to deliver quality comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care (CEmONC) in a rural hospital setting. This includes essential, integrated maternal and child health (MCH) outpatient services, essential integrated inpatient maternal care, emergency obstetric services (including operating theater procedures), and essential newborn care.
Roles and responsibilities
Patient care
- Provide all 9 signal functions of comprehensive emergency obstetric care, including Caesarean sections and blood transfusions, as required
- Consult on complex/complicated cases and provide appropriate treatment for pregnant women who are ill, obstetric complications, trauma, neonatal emergencies, complications of abortion, post-natal complications, and treatment of severely malnourished children
- Conduct routine ward consultations, as necessary and prescription of drugs according to MOH guidelines
- Ensure functionality of the operating theater, including adherence to surgical protocols, and ensuring availability of necessary supplies and maintenance and/or repair of equipment
- Implement continuous quality improvement of CEmONC and outpatient MCH services through:
- Supportive supervision of clinical staff
- Developing and implementing schedule of regular clinical skills updates and continuous medical education
- Ensuring availability and comprehension of, and adherence to, South Sudan treatment protocols
- Conduct routine maternal death audits and ensure procedures are in place for reporting and prompt investigation of accidents, near misses, and adverse events
- Ensure good patient flow and consultations of the medical departments
Team management
- Ensure consistent readiness, responsiveness and quality of emergency obstetric care at the hospital
- Provide leadership to the medical team across departments, including support services critical for CEmONC (laboratory, pharmacy, etc). Ensure integration of essential maternal and child health services.
- Assist in the development of the duty roster and ensure it is followed according to the schedules
- Conducting routine performance reviews of clinical staff
- Organize and lead routine staff activities schedule, including daily rounds and weekly clinical staff meetings
- Ensure adequate availability of supplies necessary to carry out CEmONC functions. Certify and submit hospital drug orders, consumption reports and stock cards.
- Ensure data quality, timely reporting, and use of data in management and service improvements. Ensure availability of appropriate register books in each department; ensure staff are trained and accurately complete register books; and ensure ISDR and DHIS reports are accurate, complete and submitted on time to the hospital in-charge. Discuss data with staff during regular staff meetings to formulate recommendations for improvements in service delivery. Ensure data are reported to hospital committees.
- Ensure high functioning countywide referral system from community level to PHC facilities to hospital level, including feedback system to referring facilities and follow up, as required, of discharged patients.
- Ensure adherence to high standards in infection prevention, including adherence to universal precautions by all staff, proper equipment sterilization, as well as guidelines for and adherence to waste segregation and proper disposal,
- Participate in the hospital committee meetings
- Perform any other duty assigned by line manager
Qualifications and competences
- Medical Doctor degree from a recognized institution
- Registered by a recognized council in surgery
- At least three years management experience in a rural hospital setting, including experience supervising and mentoring clinical staff in a resource poor setting
- Clinical skills and demonstrated technical expertise in several of the following areas: emergency obstetric services (including Caesarean deliveries and blood transfusions), focused antenatal care, essential inpatient care for pregnant women who are ill, outpatient MCH services, essential newborn care, post-natal and post-abortion care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), clinical management of rape, and family planning.
- Experience in people management skills leading a team
- Proven ability to work cooperatively with others in a team environment
- Strong coordination skills with proven ability to work across multiple technical areas simultaneously, supporting and mentoring multiple staff members
- Experience in analytical and conceptual skills in program management, project planning, report writing, organizational and interpersonal skills
- Excellent communication skills – English written and spoken and computer skills
- Strong interpersonal skills, creativity, flexibility, adaptability and empathy
- Experience in data collection, monitoring, and data utilization at secondary and tertiary care levels. Preferable experience with South Sudan register books and DHIS and IDSR systems.
How to apply: