Medical Officer at Save The Children

Role Purpose

• The Medical Officer will provide quality treatment services to complicated cases at the Stabilization Centre (SC) and also at the Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP), work with the Nurses to ensure that all cases on admission receive quality care and be responsible for the documentation of commodities, medicines/consumables utilized daily.

Key Areas of Accountability

Programme implementation:
Provision of high-quality care to complicated SAM cases:

• Provide clinical care to complicated cases of SAM admitted at the Stabilization Centre (SC)
• Ensure clinical care provided at the SC is in accordance with the National guidelines for In-patient Management of SAM
• Mentor and provide on-the-job training on stabilization care and documentation to nurses and other health workers deployed to the SC to ensure:
• Respect of approved protocols for management of acute malnutrition
• Correct use of programme monitoring and evaluation (recording) tools
• Appropriate use of resources, stock control and ordering procedures

Strengthen clinical services at the OTP:

• Ensure effective triage in the OTP sites and that children are promptly referred
• Support health workers in the OTP to correctly take the medical history of new admissions and conduct physical examination for all cases (new and old) of SAM
• Ensure medical complications among SAM cases in the OTPs are correctly identified and proper management instituted
• Provide on-the-job training (knowledge update) to health workers in the OTP on clinical care in the management of SAM

Programme Documentation:

• Ensure the utilization of medicines, medical supplies, nutrition-related commodities are routinely documented in the relevant tool
• Ensure timely collection and compilation of quality data for the production of quantitative and qualitative reports regarding all SC activities
• Support the development of weekly and monthly reports on activities, and any other ad hoc report that may be required
• Support the production of case studies related to inpatient care, at least one per quarter or as per line manager’s request

Representation and Relationships:

• Participate in Nutrition related Meetings, Seminars and Workshops and feed information acquired back into programming
• Work and strengthen the relationship with Borno State Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board, UNICEF and other partners implementing CMAM and Stabilization Care in the State
• Other - Other ad-hoc tasks as requested by Line Manager

Skills, Experience and Education

• Medical Degree (MB,BS; MB, BCh) from a recognized/accredited University in Nigeria
• At least three years post NYSC experience
• Previous experience with other local and international NGOs
• Experience in Nutrition and in community-based programmes
• Training and experience on treatment of acute malnutrition
• Advocacy and logistics experience
• Computer literacy (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint)
• Fluency in English and Hausa, spoken and written
• Ability to work in partnership with government and other NGO staff
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work within a team setting
• Independence, adaptability and flexibility with good workload management, multitasking and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Excellent communication skills

Additional Qualifications

• Work experience in health/public health and or in a health/public health organisation, including as a trainer.
• Experience with providing institutional support and technical assistance to development partners, government/community institutions

Additional Skills:

• Ability to work effectively both independently (with minimal supervision) and as a member of a team
• Commitment to gender equity, child rights, community empowerment, and grassroots development approaches
• Effective planning and organising skills
• Effective interpersonal skills - oral and written communication skills