Medical doctor
Contract
This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) assists the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development in the country. UNAMA’s current mandate comprises the following priorities: the provision of good offices; support for the organization of future elections; strengthening capacity in the protection and promotion of human rights including the protection of children affected by armed conflict and prevention of child recruitment; support for gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment; the coordination and facilitation of humanitarian assistance; and support for Afghanistan’s development and governance priorities, including the rule of law, transitional justice as an essential component of the ongoing peace process, budget execution and the fight against corruption throughout the country; The Security Council also recognized that the renewed mandate of UNAMA is in support of Afghanistan’s full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas,
Duty Station could be changed during the assignment.
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or his/her designated representative, the UN Volunteer Medical Doctor will:
Clinical duties • Attend the UN clinic located in the respective Field Office, on a full-time basis. • Undertake day-to-day clinical consultations with UN personnel. • Stabilize and refer/evacuate complicated/emergency medical and trauma cases to higher medical facilities. • Follow up with higher medical facilities for all referred/evacuated cases. • Provide on-call services outside office hours to respond and attend to all medical and trauma emergencies, 24/7 • Identify and liaise with local health facilities that could be of help in mass casualty incidents. • Development of emergency capacity of medical facilities within the UN. • Provide timely support (e.g., medical escort) for medical evacuations (Medevac) and Casualty evacuations (Casevac) of UN personnel.
Occupational health duties • Conduct pre-placement, periodic, and exit medical examinations. and provide routine immunizations. • Prepare UN staff for traveling by providing immunizations, malaria prophylaxis, travel kits, personal health maintenance briefing, etc. • Maintain a current list of staff members with chronic health conditions. • Provide health education and health promotion programs. • Participate in addressing work environment and occupational health issues. • Ensure infection prevention and control standards are implemented in the UN clinic and compounds.
Training/Capacity building • Assist in the delivery of training such as: Emergency Trauma Bag (ETB) first responder course, individual first aid kit (IFAK) course, emergency first aid, UN Buddy First Aid Course, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and AED, and medical incident command system. • Revise and rehearse the mass casualty incident response plan in UN compounds. • Participate and coordinate in-extremis exercises in UN compounds.
Managing Medical Logistics • Maintain adequate stocks of medication and medical supplies through management of the inventory and timely requests to the mission pharmacist to avoid stockouts. • Ensure proper functioning of medical equipment and devices, and report malfunctioning equipment to allow for timely repair/replacement. • Ensure optimal and rational use of resources while respecting medical ethics.
Reporting • Prepare and submit reports on all activities, to the CMO and/or his/her designate on a weekly and /or monthly basis.
• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNAMA; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNAMA procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy, and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented. • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNAMA in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority. • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues. • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organising: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary. • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNAMA’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
• A bachelor’s or higher degree in Medicine from a recognized University. • At least five years of progressive work experience in medical care including emergency and trauma. • Experience working in the UN or other international development organization is desirable. • Have a valid license to practice as a medical doctor in your home country. • Knowledge and certification in the following areas of medicine are highly desirable as this experience will ensure stabilisation and referral of medical and trauma emergencies. o Basic Life support (BLS). o Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). o Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision.
Afghanistan is a unique country and UNAMA is a unique (humanitarian) operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.