Although remarkable progress has been made in rebuilding Sierra Leone since the end of the conflict in 2002, the decade-long civil war has caused extensive damage. The health system was decimated by the war, with structures destroyed and staff lost. The country currently has some of the worst health indicators in the world, with 283 children out of 1000 dying before they reach the age of five. Bo District Hospital is the only referral hospital for the South-Western region of Sierra Leone. There is only one paediatrician working in public service in Sierra Leone, and three government doctors for the Bo district. The quality of care has been affected by the acute shortage of health staff, and the hospital is now seeking urgent support to address the situation. As a paediatrician working at the hospital, you’ll combine clinical work with teaching and management, to build up skills and services and improve outcomes for children admitted.

What does the role involve?

• Diagnosing and managing childhood diseases and participating in the on-call rota

• Leading the management of paediatric wards and developing protocols and procedures

• Providing in-service training for hospital staff and teaching medical and nursing students from health training institutions

• Support improvements to neonatal emergency care

• Support continuing professional development activities for nurses, medical students, and house officers
  

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll need to be a registered paediatrician with MRCPCH and ST5 level and upwards to take on the challenges of this role. Paediatricians returning from Sierra Leone recommend that the more senior you are, the better. You’ll need the resilience to cope with working in a context with one of the highest mortality rates in the world. You’ll also need to be able to adapt your clinical practice to working with fewer diagnostics and drugs than in the UK. Confidence in your ability to work independently and provide teaching and management support is essential. Patience, flexibility and a positive attitude will help you to adapt to life in Sierra Leone. You’ll also need good interpersonal skills to form strong relationships with people from senior health officials to the families of vulnerable children.

And the rest...

Sierra Leone borders Liberia to the southeast, the Republic of Guinea to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the West. You’ll be based in Bo, the second city of Sierra Leone and the largest town in the Southern province. The climate is tropical with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season for the rest of the year.

We’ll ask you to commit to up to 12 months to make a sustainable contribution to improving paediatric services at the hospital. In return, we'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance, training, and ongoing support in-country. NHS employees can be eligible for continued membership of the NHS pensions scheme.

An Ethiopian child is 30 times more likely to die by his or her fifth birthday than a child in Western Europe. The majority of these deaths are from preventable causes, such as easily treatable diseases.  The burden of preventable disease in childhood often falls where health infrastructure is weakest, and technical and human resources are most scarce.

As Paediatrician at Hawassa University Government Hospital, you’ll help one of the newest hospitals in the country develop undergraduate medical training in paediatrics, and support improvements to clinical service delivery. You’ll work to make sure better care reaches more children in Hawassa.

What does the role involve?

•  Supervision, training and management of medical students and junior doctors
•  Assessment and management of acute paediatric cases
•  Neonatal resuscitation and intensive care
•  Assessment and management of chronic paediatric cases in out-patient clinic
•  Clinical instruction in practical procedures: intubations, cannulation and lumbar puncture
•  Providing on-the-job training and professional support for colleagues
•  Auditing improvements to clinical service delivery

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a registered paediatrician with MRCPCH, at ST3/4 level or above. Experience of training others is essential, and this role would suit someone with a passion for education. Members of RCPCH in higher specialist training can take this role as a VSO/RCPCH Fellowship.

And the rest...

We’ll ask you to commit to 12 months to make a sustainable contribution to paediatrics at Hawassa. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return home, we'll help you to resettle, and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.