POSITION TITLE: / ADI Volunteer Medical Officer, Integrated Health Patrols
LOCATIONS: / Kiunga, Western Province and Kavieng, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea
REPORTING TO: / New Ireland Health Project Manager (Kavieng)
PNG Program Manager (Sydney)
DUTY STATEMENT: / The ADI MO is part of a multidisciplinary team that conducts regular outreach health patrols to rural and remote parts of PNG. The patrol team consists of a team of PNG allied health staff including eye, dental, physiotherapy, family planning, HIV/STI, disease control (Malaria, TB) and community health educators. The patrols are conducted by boat or four wheel drive and last up to 2 weeks staying in local guest houses, villages and health facilities.
Each patrol will visit an aid post, health centre or village to conduct daily health clinics and deliver community health education – providing access to health services for those in rural and remote areas. At each health facility, the ADI MO will work alongside the local PNG health workers to run clinics and to provide case-based and group training to the local workforce on topics including essential and emergency obstetrics, maternal and child health, TB, Malaria, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and respiratory infections. The primary focus for the ADI MO is to build the clinical capacity of rural health workers through case-based and group training whilst on patrol.
The planning and organisation of the patrols is conducted by the ADI health Project Manager and Patrol Coordinator who arrange the logistics and staff on each patrol. The ADI MO is responsible for organising medical supplies from the local area store and conducting pre and post patrol meetings with patrol team members.
Whilst not on patrol, the ADI MO provides clinical support, education and training at local health centres and clinics or assists at the provincial hospital.
The MO may also be asked to provide training at in-service workshops, review technical documents, recommend new processes to strengthen primary health care services, and support and mentor health staff to improve health service delivery.
OVERALL PURPOSE: / Most health spending and services in PNG are located in urban centres however 85% of the population live in rural and remote areas where there is little to no access to health. ADI works in partnership with provincial governments, health departments and local partners to improve the quality and access to health for people in rural and remote areas. This is achieved through delivering outreach health patrols and in-service training for rural healthcare workers.
The overall purpose of ADI’s work is to strengthen local health systems and build the clinical capacity of rural health workers. The long-term goal of this project is to integrate the outreach health patrol program into the provincial health system.
SPECIFIC DUTIES: / Join a team of PNG health staff to undertake outreach health patrols to rural and remote parts of PNG:
Clinical capacity building:
· Undertake case based teaching of health workers as part of clinical examinations and ward rounds;
· Undertake group training of health centre staff on nominated subjects during the visit ,especially safe motherhood, maternal and child health and clinical diagnosis and treatment;
· Provide advice on clinical issues, medical equipment, processes etc. when requested.
Clinical treatment:
· Provide clinical services to inpatients at health centres and aid posts;
· Provide clinical outpatient services at health centres and aid posts;
· Follow up patients from previous visits, including compliance with medications particularly TB, leprosy and yaws
· Provide clinical support to health staff to improve patient care;
· Support disease prevention/disease control activities eg TB DOTS, malaria, STI’s.
· Source all medications and medical supplies for patrols from local area store with the assistance of the Provincial Medical Supplies and Logistics Officer
In between patrols
· Provide clinical training and education at local clinics, health centres and other health facilities
· Provide clinical services to local clinics, health centres and other health facilities
· Prepare materials and deliver training sessions at in-service training
Advocating, mentoring, supporting, advising
· Help motivate local health staff to improve the quality of health care and the condition of each health facility;
· Advocate for improvements to health service delivery.
PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES: / · Number of teaching hours
· Number of patrols undertaken
· Number of patients seen
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: / · Monthly Patrol summary reports
· Daily clinical consultation and clinical teaching forms
· Patrol Logistics report
· End of deployment report
KEY SELECTION CRITERIA
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE: / · Minimum four (4) years post-graduate experience which includes primary health care;
· Skills and expertise relevant to providing medical services in remote areas;
· Experience in leading, supervising and managing others;
· Ability to teach and educate health workers, communities and school children;
· Awareness of and sensitivity to cross cultural issues;
· A preparedness to work with limited resources within a challenging environment;
· Fit, healthy and able to undertake patrols to remote areas with limited amenities;
· An ability to accept traditional medicine as part of primary health care.
REQUIRED SKILLS: / · Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook;
· Proficient swimmer as some travel to health centers is by banana boat.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: / · MBBS from a recognised Australian or New Zealand university (or equivalent);
· Current national medical registration in Australia, New Zealand or Papua New Guinea.
REQUIRED
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: / · Good communication skills
· Teamwork
· Flexibility
· Tolerance
· Persistence
· Non judgmental
· Commitment to coaching and mentoring others
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: / · Experience in rural or remote communities in Australia or overseas
· Experience or interest in tropical medicine
· Experience or interest in people from other cultures
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Volunteer Medical Officer Integrated Health Patrol 30 June 2017