Meet the team! Regina Samuels - Health Information Manager

Regina Samuels started working at the Ola During Children’s Hospital in February 2013 as the hospital’s first health information manager. She is currently the only Health Information Manager working in a government hospital in Sierra Leone, due to a shortage of health information managers.

Regina is a Sierra Leonean and pursued her Bachelor of Science in Pure Mathematics & Statistics at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She was interested in Health Informatics and since there is no degree course in Health Informatics in Sierra Leone, she went to the University of Ghana, Legon in 2010 and obtained a MSc in Health Informatics there.

We are very excited to have Regina in the hospital to support our Medical Records department and continue developing the Health Information System in the only Children’s Hospital in the country.

The Children’s hospital currently uses an electronic database to capture patient demographics and hospital statistics. The next steps are to include outpatient data as well as ensure an integrated network system so that the electronic system can be accessed throughout the hospital. We also hope to be one of the leading hospitals in implementing openMRS in Sierra Leone. We hope that with an improved health information system we will be able to provide the hospital management, Ministry Health and Sanitation and partners with high quality data, which can be used for informed decision-making. 

Country Director wanted: Welbodi Partnership (Sierra Leone)

The Welbodi Partnership, a small but growing UK registered charity that is supporting improvements in child and maternal health in Sierra Leone, is looking for a Country Director.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to work in a young, dynamic organisation making a difference in healthcare in West Africa.


Here are all the details....

VACANCY

Country Director

“Improving maternal and child health in Sierra Leone”

Background

The Welbodi Partnership is a UK-based NGO working in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Sierra Leone Institute of Child Health (SLICH), and government health care facilities in Freetown – including the Ola During Children’s Hospital, Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, and nearby primary health units – as well as the communities served by these facilities. Our goal is to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for mothers and children in a country with one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world.

Responsibilities

The Country Director, based in Freetown, is responsible for the planning, management and appropriate development of Welbodi’s work in-country, and is the leader of the 15-20 person Welbodi Partnership in-country team. Reporting to and supported by the Board of Trustees, and also supported by a UK-based fundraising, administration, and communication team, the CD will be responsible for programme development and management, financial management, management of in-country employees and volunteers, and building and maintaining relationships with partners within Sierra Leone, as well as ensuring that Welbodi continues to uphold its core values and to deliver effective programming driven by evidence and by the needs and ideas of our local partners.

Specific responsibilities are listed below, but will also include other duties necessary for the success of the project and of the Welbodi Partnership.

PROGRAMMES AND PARTNERSHIPS

·         Overall responsibility for ensuring that Welbodi Partnership’s work in Sierra Leone is delivered to an appropriately high standard, in keeping with our values.

·         Overall responsibility for delivering high quality activity reports to the Welbodi Partnership Board.

·         Overall responsibility for delivering M&E and learning reports to the Welbodi Partnership Board.

·         Establishing and maintaining close working relationships with our partners at the Sierra Leone Institute of Child Health, health facilities, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and others and ensure their appropriate involvement and buy-in throughout.

PERSONNEL

·         Responsibility for managing the 15-20 member team in Sierra Leone, which includes national staff with skills in finances, M&E, programme management and administration; international staff and volunteers with clinical training (nurses and doctors); and international staff and volunteers involved in programme management, M&E, research, and other responsibilities. Line management may be delegated to other team members where appropriate. 

·         Responsibility for ensuring that all staff and volunteers have appropriate objectives, appraisals, support and training, and dealing with grievances and disciplinary issues when necessary and in accordance with Welbodi policies.

·         Responsibility for team building and coordination, including ensuring a supportive and developmental environment for all staff, and particularly for those hired through national recruitment.

·         Involvement in international recruitment and primary responsibility for in-country recruitment.

·         Overall responsibility for managing accommodation and transport that Welbodi provides for staff, and for other logistics and resource management as needed.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

·         Overall responsibility for financial management for the Welbodi Partnership in Sierra Leone, including budgeting, bookkeeping, financial reporting and efficient management of financial resources. Much of this work will be delivered by other staff, supervised by the CD.

·         The CD will have ultimate accountability for all financial matters in-country and must review and approve the monthly management accounts as well as all budgets and financial reports.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

·         Responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of staff and of programme participants.

·         Overall responsibility for ensuring that Welbodi Partnership’s policies and procedures are implemented, particularly regarding financial management and human resource management, in order to fulfill risk management obligations.

VISIBILITY AND REPRESENTATION

·         Representing the Welbodi Partnership in Sierra Leone to governmental and non-governmental health partners, including funders and potential funders.

·         Sharing information and lessons learnt with our partners and other stakeholders and organizations with shared aims.

·         Contributing regularly to the Welbodi Partnership’s communication with its supporters and partners, in close cooperation with the Welbodi Partnership London office.

·         Working with the Welbodi Partnership London office and Board of Directors on fundraising through generating ideas, collecting information in Freetown (e.g. for budgets, needs assessments) and producing technical materials.

Qualifications

-          At least four years senior management experience. International development or global health experience preferred.

-          Post-graduate degree in relevant field of study, or equivalent work experience.

-          Senior management experience to include fundraising, programme, operations and human resources management, with some experience in charity sector and/or in impoverished, post-conflict, or other challenging environments preferred.

-          Excellent IT, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, and demonstrated skills in budgeting and financial management.

-          Experience in liaising with government officials and a variety of donors and other partners.

-          Experience in proposal and report writing with a proven ability to secure donor funding

-          Knowledge of relevant evidence-based approaches to improving maternal, newborn, and child health, and of national and international strategies and frameworks in these areas.

-          Fluent written and spoken English. Fluency in Krio and/or other local languages preferred.

-          Experience of managing security, as it relates to staff and programme activities, in a high-risk environment preferred.

-          Willingness to accept basic living and working conditions. 

Terms of employment

The Country Director position is for an initial term of 12 months, commencing June 2014. The Welbodi Partnership will pay a competitive salary and benefits benchmarked against other similarly-sized international organizations and commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Application process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting on March 15^th, 2014 until the position is filled. Please submit a cover letter, resume or CV, and the names of three references to jobs@welbodipartnership.org. If you have any specific requirements in terms of salary, start date, or other considerations, please mention these in your cover letter.

Summer Interns Wanted: Child Health in Sierra Leone with the Welbodi Partnership

We are looking for Summer Interns to come to Freetown, Sierra Leone for 3 months in the summer of 2014.

This is a great opportunity for those of you interested in health and development in Africa.

The application deadline is 15th March 2014.

Please see below for how to apply.  And pass this link on to interested friends and colleagues!  Thank you!

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Summer Intern

 “Improving child health outcomes in Sierra Leone”

Application Deadline:                   March 15, 2014

Background

Welbodi Partnership is a UK-based non-governmental organization based at Ola During Children’s Hospital (ODCH) in Freetown, working to improve maternal and child health services provided by government facilities, including ODCH, the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH), and affiliated Peripheral Health Units (PHUs). We work in partnership with the government and with the communities served by the facilities.

We are currently hiring a summer intern to join our diverse and dynamic Freetown-based team.

Intern Objectives and Key Activities

We are a small organization with 8-12 team members in Freetown, including both nationally-hired staff and international staff and volunteers. We are looking for an intern with a range of skills and experiences to complement those of our other team members, and someone who is flexible and willing to adapt to the organisation’s changing needs and priorities and to help out as needed.

Likely activities for our 2014 summer intern include, but are not limited to:

-          Scoping research and programme design for a planned future project to support and strengthen the primary health and referral system in the Freetown area. Review of evidence-based approaches from around the world; meetings with other organisations working in this area in Sierra Leone; development of programme activities and associated budgets and staffing requirements. -          Similar scoping work for other future projects. 

-          Implementing initial programme activities, including baseline data collection and recruitment and training of community outreach staff, for a new project on maternal health, tentatively scheduled to begin in June 2014.

-          Contributing to proposal-writing and public communications about our work.

-          Participation in M&E, including reviewing M&E data on existing programs, helping to develop M&E systems for future programming, and supporting an external evaluation team that will conduct a final evaluation in August 2014 for our largest grant.

-          Support for and involvement in financial management, including budgeting, bookkeeping, financial reporting, and other tasks as needed.

-          Technical support for our local partners, as needed.

-          Liaising with health NGOs and other stakeholders in Freetown, as appropriate.

-          Other tasks as needed to support Welbodi’s ongoing and future programme activities.

Actual responsibilities and work plans will be agreed by the intern and the team leader in Freetown. We are committed to helping interns to have a positive experience and to learn and grow from their time in Sierra Leone, while also ensuring that they contribute to delivering high-quality programming that serves our ultimate beneficiaries, the women and children of Sierra Leone.

Terms and timeframe

The intern would join the Welbodi Partnership team in Freetown for three months (12 weeks) during the summer of 2014. Specific dates and timeframe are negotiable. The Welbodi Partnership cannot offer remuneration, but will provide housing, transportation, office space, and other logistical support in Freetown, and may be able to offset some of the intern’s other expenses.

Requirements

The profile of interns sought is as follows:

• Higher university degree in medicine, public health, management, or relevant social sciences degrees. Students currently enrolled in a relevant graduate program will also be considered.

·         Knowledge of relevant evidence-based approaches to improving maternal, newborn, and child health in developing countries.

·         Excellent IT, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, and demonstrated skills in budgeting and financial management.

• Proven skills and experience in one or more of the following areas: monitoring and evaluation, programme design, grant writing, grant reporting, and public relations

·         Fluent written and spoken English. Fluency in Krio and/or other Sierra Leonean languages preferred.

·         Experience living and working in another country and culture, particularly in Africa and/or in a developing country. Experience working with people from different backgrounds.

·         Flexibility and a willingness to adapt to changing conditions and work requirements, and to help out as and when needed. An ability to work independently and as part of a team, and a proven ability to manage his/her own time and workload with limited supervision..

·         A willingness to accept basic living and working conditions. 

To Apply

Interested candidates should email a copy of their resume or CV, cover letter, the names of three references, and their dates of availability to Emily Spry (emily@welbodipartnership.org) by March 15, 2014. 

Candidates should advise if they have any specific deadlines for applying for summer internship funding from their university, and Welbodi will make every effort to respond by those deadlines.

Milestone in Child Health Reached: Welbodi Announces Accreditation of the Children's Hospital

Dr. Sarian Kamara and Honourable Minister Ms. Miatta Kargbo

Welbodi Partnership is pleased to inform you that the long awaited news of accreditation has reached the shores of Sierra Leone. Accreditation means that for the first time ever, doctors in Sierra Leone can pursue paediatric residency training without leaving the country.

The accreditation status of the Ola During Children's Hospital (ODCH) was officially announced during a meeting held on Wednesday 22 January 2014 at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in the presence of the Honourable Minister of Health, Ms Miatta Kargbo, and other representatives from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Ola During Children’s Hospital and the Welbodi Partnership.

After a brief overview of the accreditation process from 2010 to date by Dr. Tamra Runsewe-Abiodun, Head of Department of Paediatrics at ODCH, the news on the accreditation status of the hospital was announced and the official documentation was handed over to the Dr. Sarian Kamara, Acting Chief Medical Officer, who in turn handed it over to the Honourable Minister Ms. Miatta Kargbo.

The official letter from the West African College of Physicians stated that “The Council at its meeting held in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire on Wednesday 6th November, 2013 approved that your institution [Ola During Children’s Hospital] be granted temporary accreditation for 2 years, to train membership residents for paediatrics. The accreditation is for 2 years from 6th November 2013.”

The Minister addressed the audience by thanking those involved for their hard work in making accreditation become a reality. She highlighted the importance of this milestone and encouraged those present to continue their efforts in ensuring that postgraduate training will be delivered at a high standard.

Establishing in-country postgraduate training has been a core focus of Welbodi Partnership’s support to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Ola During Children’s Hospital for the past five years. We have invested resources to support doctors to take the primary exam, to provide key upgrades to infrastructure and equipment (including the development of a state-of-the-art digital x-ray department), to cover the cost of accreditation visits, etc. We are grateful to our donors and partners who have enabled this to happen.

Accreditation for the Children’s Hospital is excellent news as it means that in-country paediatric training can commence and doctors no longer need to be sent abroad to do their paediatric residency training. This will boost the health services and human resource status in Sierra Leone and be of great benefit to the many children in the country in need of high quality paediatric specialist care.

We would like to congratulate the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Ola During Children’s Hospital staff in achieving this important milestone.

Welbodi Partnership will continue to support the Ministry and hospital staff to ensure that a high quality residency-training programme is developed and delivered and hope that together we can work towards achieving full accreditation in 2015.