Médecins Sans Frontières, an international medical and humanitarian association founded in 1971, provides medical assistance to communities faced with crises endangering their survival. These crises typically take the form of armed conflict but also include epidemics, natural catastrophes and even exclusion from healthcare. The French section of MSF is present in some thirty countries worldwide.
For a creation of position MSF is currently looking for a :
MEDICAL DOCTOR NEUROLOGIST M/F
You are responsible to collaborate with MSF and MOH clinicians on the integration of epileptic treatment within the mental health program with basic healthcare services in order to ensure appropriate treatment of patients suffering from severe and common epileptic disorders. Background
MSF ran an Ebola survivor care project following the large Ebola outbreak which ignited West Africa in general and Liberia particularly. This program including health and mental health care evidenced the high level of needs in Mental Health linked to the hemorrhagic fever outbreak but also as a consequence of the prolong conflict which affected Liberia during almost two decades with a high level of violence (250 000 death in a country of then 3,5 million, large number of atrocities).
Qualified Mental Health care largely unavailable in Liberia. There is a 70-bed national psychiatric hospital (E.S. Grant Hospital) which operates with great difficulty. There is one part-time Liberian psychiatrist.
In end of 2016, decision was taken to close the Ebola survivor care project and to assess Mental Health needs in the country to consider offering such services. The evaluation led to the opening of a Mental Health project in Monrovia to offer those services to the population. Though Epilepsy is not a Mental Health issue, it is considered as such (or spiritual malice and/or contagious disease) and largely prevalent in Liberia. The program will then also position itself on this pathology to relocate it as a health issue and offer care management to patient identified with such symptoms.
The program is aimed to improve access to Mental Health and Epilepsy care services within Montserrado County through diagnosis, treatment and referrals in 4 PHCC. It initiated its implementation in early September when first patients were admitted.
Reporting to:
Hierarchical: Mental Health Project Coordinator
Functional: Medical Coordinator
Main Accountabilities of the position:
• Conduct training on epilepsy management to MOH and MSF clinical staff (nurses and PAs) in the MH program.
• Supervise MH clinicians prescriptions and ensure right dosage and frequencies are applied according to available protocols.
• provide treatment to patients suffering from severe and common epileptic disorders with specific attention to the cultural context and train MH clinicians how to recognise and appropriately diagnose epilepsy according to MOH/MSF guidelines.
• Participate in meetings as a member of the mental health team and offer supervision and support to the clinicians.
• Ensure that guidelines and anti-epileptic medications from MSF standard drug list are available in the project and followed.
• Collaborate with the MH team/psychiatrist to review cases of misdiagnosed epilepsy as psychiatry cases and place on appropriate medications/counselling as the case may be.
• Conduct selected sessions with Community workers (in charge of community sensitization, case finding, home visit and should contribute to reduction of stigma).
• With the MH Activity manager and Pharmacist, prepare anti-epileptic drug order according to international medical order calendar
• Develop referral pathway to secondary/tertiary level of care for emergency cases with the MHAM.
• Coordinate the implementation of epilepsy management protocols with special emphasis on paediatric patients and patients with comorbidities.
• For difficult patients/ cases, when indicated seek technical advice from medical department (paediatric referent in Sydney for Paeds and Adult neurologists through telemedicine).
• With Medco and in collaboration with the medical department, review and finalize the epilepsy algorithms and protocols (paeds and adults) when required.
• Support the MH team in implementation of the decentralization of epilepsy patients and the stable patient’s appointment system.
• Support the MH team in identifying gaps and implementing best practices/model of care for this context.
• Take part in activities leading to the opening of the new 5th clinic including staff training, supervision and consultation of new epileptic patients in the management of child and adult epilepsy.
Profile/Requirements :
- Medical Doctor; specialized training in neurology.
- Solid experience in Neurology/Epilepsy management preferably with children.
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience as a MD in clinical work. Tropical Medicine also desirable.
- Experience with teaching/training activities, team capacity building.
- Good command of English (Written and Spoken) as the language of the duty station.
- Flexibility and teamwork.
Terms of employment
- Full time international staff position based in Monrovia/Liberia.
- 4 months contract.
- Salary according to the MSF salary grid and previous relevant experiences.
Starting date: May 2019
More Information
- Job City Monrovia
