Physiotherapist at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Responsibilities

• Under the direct responsibility of the Project Medical Coordinator, the physiotherapists' main objective will be to:
• Implement the set up of Stimulation therapy for malnourished children within the MSF project site and its needed planning cycle ( ARO , reviews ,...)
• Screen , hire , train and coach national Physiotherapy staff in providing ST at the project site
• Develop and monitor the outcomes of the care of the children as well as promote and explain the impact of the activities on the project’s global outcomes to the Medical staff of the project by collaboration with other clinicians ( MHPSS , Play therapy , Health Promotion , MCH, feeding ,..) with the management and follow-up of malnourished children.
• Guide the children care, at the set up of the project phase, during individual ST sessions for malnourished children and to pass on to the mother/father or the person responsible for the child the stimulation gestures to be continued at home.

Main Tasks
Implementation of Stimulation Therapy for malnourished children:

• Dimension the need and scope of the therapy activities for the project with the Medical coordination
• Hire and prepare national human resources for setting up the activities
• Accompany the logistical and organizational set up of the activities in the existing infrastructure
• Brief and enhance the understanding of the therapy activities to the interdisciplinary team present at the hospital
• Create pathway of care and selection criteria as well as discharge criteria for the therapeutic activities
• Draft basic outlines for the medium time frame planning of the project ( ARO preparations )

Provision and supervision of Stimulation therapy sessions for malnourished children

• Welcome the family, assess the child's development and run ST-Malnourished Children sessions withthe parent in the stimulation therapy areas of the targeted UNTI and UNTA.
• Raise awareness of the importance of ST for malnourished children among parents and caregivers through health talks in therapeutic stimulation areas.
• Introduce parents and carers of malnourished children to motor, sensory and cognitive activities through play.
• Train or raise awareness among nutrition workers.
• Train or sensitize community relays when available.
• Explain and present ST-Malnourished children to visitors from various organizations.

Provide and deliver Training updates for the National Physiotherapists through general guidance for ST
sessions for malnourished children including :

• Therapeutic play sessions to help children reach the developmental milestones that match their abilities. Take into account possible limitations due to the effects of malnutrition.
• Promotion sensory development and fine motor skills
• Improvement of general balance and facilitating the child's movements through appropriate stimulation
• Stimulation of cognitive skills and therefore complex abilities following the standard skills based development chart on age of child
• Involvement techniques for parents in play and in observing their child's abilities, and providing them with stimulation tips for everyday life at home.

Awareness and training for the interdisciplinary team:

• Give briefings and training to members of the medical team on how stimulation improves recovery for malnourished children and their further development
• Draft and develop with the interdisciplinary team intake and discharge criteria for the children needing stimulation according their nutritional status
• In collaboration with the other project teams, inform the community about the nature of the ST- malnourished children and rehabilitation services offered by HI within the framework of the project.

Reporting and internal coordination:

• Contribute to sitrep and activity report on the Project progress
• Create train staff and integrate specific data sets on activities outcomes of the stimulation activities to be uploaded into the database collection framework of the project
• Keep beneficiaries information and monitoring data up to date according the periodical data collection
• Participate in drafting analysis reports
• Participate in regular team meetings within the project
• Participate in workshops organized on an ad hoc basis at the request of the Project Manager

Team safety and code of conduct:

• Understand, apply and enforce MSF safety procedures and rules
• Be particularly vigilant with regard to teams' knowledge of and compliance with internal regulations, particularly with regard to deontological and ethical aspects relating to the respect and protection of beneficiaries.
• Immediately report to the Project Manager any breach of HI rules observed or suspected within teams
• Any other relevant task requested by his/her line Supervisor.