PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (BACKGROUND)
International Medical Corps is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through healthcare training and relief and development programs.
Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas worldwide. By offering training and healthcare to local populations and medical assistance to people at high risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated healthcare systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.
When catastrophe hits, International Medical Corps is often one of the first humanitarian aid organizations on the scene providing rapid and effective aid that saves lives, reduces suffering, and promotes self-reliance.
International Medical Corps provides safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centered care; offers needs-based response according to the context and type of sudden onset disaster (SOD) and/or outbreak in the affected nation; adopts a human rights-based approach to its response; ensures it is accessible to all sections of the population affected by the SOD and/or outbreak, particularly the vulnerable; and treats patients in a medically ethical manner.
International Medical Corps is accountable to patients and communities, host governments and ministries of health, and its organization and donors. International Medical Corps commits to a coordinated response under the national health emergency management authorities. International Medical Corps collaborates with the national health system, the clusters and the humanitarian community.
Selected personnel are on standby to deploy to a crisis within 48 hours. Personnel may deploy to new areas of operation or lend support to International Medical Corps teams already on the ground. International Medical Corps maintains a roster of volunteers and staff who have completed pre-deployment paperwork, orientation and training. The roster is updated on a regular basis. Through this expression of interest, applicants maintain professional profiles with International Medical Corps, so that information is complete and readily available for an emergency response deployment.
This position will support International Medical Corps’ emergency response delivering outpatient clinical care to disaster-affected populations.
**NOTE** Candidates applying to this position are indicating that they are interested in being considered for International Medical Corps’ standby roster for emergency response. Roster members will be contacted only when there is an emergency-response need for which the responder is qualified. This position will not be compensated unless responders are deployed to an emergency response.
SUMMARY: The Volunteer, Doctor will be responsible for providing clinical services in an outpatient health care setting. He/she will be responsible for providing client counseling and direct care services including adult, adolescent and pediatric health services for both chronic and acute conditions. He/she is expected to diagnose and treat patients, provide appropriate referrals as needed and provide health education. In addition, he/she may also be requested to assist hospital staff as needed. On occasion, the Volunteer, Doctor will be required to attend an emergency delivery or supervise a Volunteer, Midwife during an emergency deployment.
MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Provide clinical services for disaster-affected population according to internationally accepted standards.
• According to internationally accepted standards, ensure high quality clinical care based on analysis of relevant and available patient history/records, appropriate physical exam and investigations to provide accurate diagnosis (or diagnoses) and treat/refer accordingly
• Adhere to international drug usage protocols
• Ensure mental health detection and appropriate referral
• Monitor disease trends and notify supervisor of any changes in trends which may require adjustment of activities
• Anticipate changing needs and potential emergencies and inform supervisor
• Identify any reportable diseases and notify supervisor and local health authorities; assist with outbreak response if needed according to international protocols
• Work with IMC staff and relevant local health authorities to set up appropriate strategies to prevent identify and treat endemic diseases as needed
• Track daily patient data using tally sheets or other tools provided and submit patient data as required according to team protocols.
