Midwife

Introduction

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) translates to Doctors without Borders. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - bound together by our charter.  Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organization.

MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of nearly 63,000 people.

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Rationale/Objective for position

Provide obstetrical care to pregnant women and their babies, doing follow up before, during and after delivery, according to MSF obstetrical and reproductive health protocols, universal hygienic and newborn caring standards and under supervision of a specialist doctor, in order to ensure their health conditions and avoid post-delivery complications.

Tasks & Responsibilities

• Ensuring the implementation and continuity of antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, obstetrical care (BEmONC 1 and CEmONC 2), neonatal and comprehensive abortion care, management of victims of sexual violence, reproductive tract infections and Fistula care in accordance with MSF Reproductive Core Package of Activities and reinforce the implementation of standardized protocols.
• Where PMTCT is implemented, ensuring implementation of the PMTCT protocol in the ANC/delivery and PNC consultations (pre-counselling, test and post-counselling.
• Collaborating with the medical doctor and/or nurse in the management of Sexual Violence cases.
• Assessing the feasibility of referral of pregnant women from the TBAs to the OPD/MCH for medical evaluation and/or complicated deliveries.
• Ensuring hygiene and sterilization criteria (including universal precautions) are met according to MSF specifications.
• Performing cleaning and minor maintenance for biomedical equipment used. Following the user manual and protocols and alerting the supervisor in case of malfunctioning.
• Guaranteeing a regular and ongoing supply of drugs and equipment required for maternity activities (including monitoring/consumption control/ordering of orders.
• Properly following up on all newborn babies from delivery until discharge, informing mothers and relatives about the importance of breastfeeding, vaccination and possible complications resulting from harmful traditional practices.
• Ensuring patients’ right to privacy and confidentiality is respected.
• Supervising that administrative procedures of admissions and hospitalizations comply with MSF protocols, as well as verifying patients are properly informed and receiving the documents required (birth certificate, vaccination card, etc.
• Participating in the organization of the ward in collaboration with other midwives and the maternity ward supervisor. Ensuring the transfer of relevant information to the next shift team (especially identifying risk cases).
• According to MSF protocols in force, conduct normal deliveries independently Manage obstetric emergencies; identify cases needing referral and send them in time, clean up the newborn, executing and registering first neo-natal medical acts (cutting and cleaning the umbilical cord, vaccination, etc.), detecting possible anomalies/infections of the newborn and reporting them to the doctor, to ensure successful interventions. 
• Supervises the use of drugs, facilities and obstetric material, to ensure, per number of patients and prescriptions, a rational use as well as pharmacy stock levels are permanently updated, kept under appropriate conditions and above minimum safety points. 1 BEmONC = basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care = Administration of antibiotics, oxytocics, anticonvulsants, manual removal of the placenta, removal of retained products following abortion, assisted vaginal delivery, preferably with vacuum extractor and newborn care including neonatal resuscitation. 2 CEmONC = comprehensive obstetric and neonatal care = the full package of BEmONC Plus; surgery (caesarean section, hysterectomy, laparotomy), safe blood transfusion and care to sick and low birth weight newborns.

Qualifications

• Education
• • ​Essential, midwifery qualification or specialization. 
  • Desired, Bachelor in Midwifery.
    
• Experience
• • Essential, working experience of at least two years in midwife activities-related jobs.
  • Desirable, working experience with MSF or other NGOs, in developing countries.
• Competencies 
• • Essential, mission language/Bilingual (English & French). 
  • Essential, computer literacy (word, excel, internet).
  • People Management.
  • Commitment to MSF Principles.
  • Flexibility.
  • Results-oriented.
  • Teamwork.