On Call Pediatrician

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Position:          On Call pediatrician   

Location:         Beirut, Lebanon 

Type of assignment: Consultancy  

Salary: According to internal salary scale, based on profile and experience 

Start Date: ASAP 

CONTEXT 

Founded in 1994, La Chaîne de l’Espoir (CDE) is an international NGO headquartered in Paris, France. Its mission is to strengthen healthcare systems and provide everyone, especially children, equal chances and opportunities for survival and development.  

CDE is currently active in twenty-seven (27) countries with a global approach, mainly focusing on children, mothers, and disadvantaged communities. Find our activities briefly elaborated as follows: 

• Prevention and screening from an early age, particularly through school health programs. 

• Care and surgery to meet the most urgent needs of children and their mothers. 

• Training and transfer of skills to local teams (capacity building) thanks to our international network of experts in all areas of surgery. 

• Construction and equipment of hospital facilities adapted to local needs. 

CDE has been implementing humanitarian activities in Lebanon since 2005, working through local partners in order to provide access to medico-surgical care to children suffering from cardiopathies and orthopedics disabilities. Late 2020, CDE eventually opened its mission in Lebanon to respond to growing needs due to the significant deterioration of the situation. Since then, CDE is implementing activities related to the tertiary healthcare, including several aspects such as the strengthening of the healthcare system, early detection of congenital orthopedics disorders, psychosocial support, etc – via direct and indirect (through local partners) implementation.  

Lately, CDE is launching a large-scale project to provide general pediatric surgery for vulnerable populations through a network of governmental hospitals, including Quarantina hospital with its partner ASSAMEH Birth & Beyond. Aiming at facilitating patients’ transportation, CDE is looking to create a pool of on-call pediatricians.  

GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

Under the supervision of the Regional Health Advisor, the on call pediatricians’ primary responsibility is to facilitate the safe and efficient transfer of pediatric beneficiaries from various hospitals to Quarantina Governmental Hospitals using LRC ambulances. The pediatrician will work closely with the ambulance medical team to ensure all protocols are followed and the child’s well-being is prioritized during the transfer process. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Consent and Documentation: 

• Ensure the signed consent form is included in the patient’s medical file along with all relevant documents. 

• Explain the ambulance transportation consent form to the patient’s caregivers, ensuring their understanding and obtaining their signatures, along with signatures from one member of the ambulance medical team and the medical focal point at the original hospital. 

• Patient Transfer: 

• Receive a comprehensive handover from the hospital team, including the patient’s status, diagnosis, results of diagnostic tests, and details of any medical treatments administered prior to the transfer. Ensure full understanding of the patient’s condition and medical history before the transfer begins. 

• Ensure the beneficiary is safely admitted into the ambulance and ready for transfer. 

• Contact the CDE medical team to provide an update on the patient’s medical status. 

• Continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs and perform regular examinations during the ambulance transfer to assess their condition and detect the need for intervention. 

• Provide necessary stabilization measures during the transfer, including administering emergency care or resuscitation as required to maintain the patient’s health and safety throughout the transfer. 

• Report movements to program team and provide continuous updates on the beneficiary’s status to CDE medical team before and during the transfer, and upon arrival to Quarantina hospital. 

• Record Keeping: 

• Maintain a detailed record of the patient’s status, interventions performed, and medications administered, following the CDE ambulance medical transfer record (that should be put in the patient’s file after transfer. 

• Flexibility and Responsiveness: 

• Be prepared to respond to urgent transfer requests from across Lebanon on short notice, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability to ensure timely care for patients in critical need.  

Qualifications: 

• Medical degree with specialization in Pediatrics. 

• Valid medical license to practice. 

• Experience in pediatric care, preferably in emergency or critical care settings. 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Ability to work under pressure and in a fast-paced environment. 

• Familiarity with ambulance transfer protocols and procedures is a plus. 

Skills: 

• Excellent clinical and diagnostic skills. 

• Compassionate and patient-focused approach. 

• Strong organizational and record-keeping abilities. 

• Ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team.