Pediatrician: Volunteer with CMMB in Kenya

Save to Favorites

Are you a Pediatrician wanting to make a huge difference to women, childrenand communities in Kenya? Join our CMMB team in Kenya! Pediatricians are invited to join our community health programs to improve the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable.

Volunteer Position: Pediatrician

Term: 3-12 months

Locations: Mutomo, Kenya

Program Description:

CMMB - Healthier Lives Worldwide is an international, faith-based NGO providing long-term, co-operative, medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and unequal access to healthcare. Focusing on women’s and children health, our Children and Mothers Partnerships program (CHAMPS) provides effective support-and life-saving medical care-for pregnant women and newborns in eight communities across Haiti, Kenya, Peru, South Sudan, and Zambia. With a commitment to dignity and sustainability, we work at both the community and clinical levels in these targeted communities to strengthen health services and address the leading causes of maternal and child death.

CMMB’s Volunteer Program addresses the critical need for professionals in areas that lack sufficient resources for quality preventive and curative health services. For over a century, our Volunteer Program has placed thousands of practitioners around the world to help develop and implement community health interventions, work at local hospitals and health facilities, conduct clinical training for host country counterparts, and deliver essential medicines and supplies. The ultimate goal of CMMB's Volunteer Program is to support our country teams and local healthcare workers by sending volunteers that are dedicated to strengthening local health systems and supporting a pattern of sustainable development.

CMMB in Kenya:

CMMB Kenya possesses a strong track record of strengthening health systems and providing quality HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support services. CMMB Kenya’s experience in managing U.S. government and private health awards dates back to 2003.

CMMB Kenya programs have built the capacity of local healthcare organizations to tackle not only HIV/AIDS but also other national health challenges. CMMB Kenya has a reputation for locally managed, high-quality HIV care and treatment, with low loss-to-follow-up and low mortality rates among clients. Program areas include HIV prevention, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV - with support from mentor mothers, and voluntary medical male circumcision, as well as HIV counseling and testing, screening for sexually transmitted infections, and behavior change communication. We also help build human resources for health and work to strengthen Kenyan health systems via direct assistance on health management information systems, finance, administration, and technical training for staff.

CMMB’s Children’s and Mothers Partnerships (CHAMPS) initiative works to improve the health of women and children and, through them, their communities. CMMB’s first CHAMPS site in Kenya is in the southeast, in underprivileged Kitui South sub county. The site focuses on increasing access to healthcare services; income‐generating activities such as livestock breeding; water, sanitation, and hygiene activities; and training and retention of community health workers. CMMB collaborates with the community to engage its members and facilitate their understanding of their own health needs, and acts as a convener to mobilize resources and partners.

Placement Site: Mutomo, Kitui, Kenya

The village of Mutomois located in a semi-arid area of Kenya, in Kitui South Sub-county.Although Mutomo is only about four hours by car from Nairobi, it is a world away. Mutomo is an administrative town for the County of Kitui, which has a population of over one million people. The catchment area for Kitui-South sub-county includes a population of 190,000 people and is served by Our Lady of Lourdes, Mutomo Mission Hospital.

In Kitui South Sub-county, indicators for maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) are some of the worst in Kenya. The maternal mortality ratio is 330 per 100,000 live births, and infant mortality is 47 per 1,000 live births. Sixty-one percent of households live in poverty. Access to maternal and newborn care services is inadequate, largely because of the health system’s low capacity and the long distances required to travel to health facilities (HF).

The Mutomo Mission Hospital was founded by the nursing sisters of the Irish Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy in 1964 and has continued to offer quality services in the face of intimidating challenges in staff retention and sustainability. Mutomo Hospital is the only level 4 health facility in Kitui-South and is the referral hospital for 48 Sub-County health facilities. The hospital is well-equipped with out-patient services and an in-patient capacity of over 125 patients. It has the only operating theater and equipped dental unit in the Sub-County and is the only facility offering comprehensive care in a radius of over 70 kilometers. Current functionalities include medical, surgical, pediatric, OB/GYN, and MCH services. The hospital also houses a special area caring for patients with HIV/AIDS and TB. Diagnostic services include a wide range of lab tests, plain X-Ray services, and simple ultrasound scans.

Learn more:http://mutomohospital.or.ke/, https://cmmb.org/country-office/kenya/

Position Summary:

Pediatricians will support CMMB’s mission by working with local communities’ health facilities and providing expertise, capacity building, and education to local staff. You will be responsible for treating children of all ages with various medical conditions, some not commonly found in the United States. Volunteers will educate families and communities in assisting with the physical and mental development of children. You will handle each case with proper ethical standards and practices to ensure the children’s well-being.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Facility Based

• Responsible for examining, diagnosing, and treating children with a wide variety of injuries and illnesses
• Collect and record medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals
• Plan and execute medical care programs to aid in the mental and physical growth and development of children and adolescents
• Prepare government or organizational reports of birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or medical status of individuals.
• Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients and parents or guardians
• Order and interpret investigations and test results
• Administer vaccines and perform follow-up examinations
• Provide primary health care education and preventative medicine to children and families including educating patients in disease prevention and health maintenance.

Community Based

• Participate in various outreach projects within the community setting and in coordination with care teams and CMMB staff
• Assist with the planning and implement project trainings for healthcare workers and community mobilizers

Capacity building

• Volunteers work directly with hospital leadership and clinical staff on health service delivery, capacity building, on-the-job training and various outreach projects within the community setting
• Facilitate training sessions to educate and train local staff on topics relevant to their profession and based on programmatic needidentified.
• Participate in facility based continuing education and academic activities

Program Support

• Record, maintain and report data to program staff to assist with grant applications and reporting needs.
• Assist with the development of communication projects and outreach initiatives. Assess and report training, supplies and medicines needs to program staff as needed.
• Collaborate with CMMB Volunteer Program team to provide input on prospective volunteers during vetting process and update materials for the Field Volunteer Orientation.
• All other duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skill Requirements:

• Must be 21 years of age or over
• M.D, D.O or equivalent degree required
• Residency training in Pediatrics.
• Current, active license to practice medicine in good standing with licensing body
• Board Certification/Eligible in Pediatrics/Internal Medicine
• Minimum 1 year of experience as an independent licensed practitioner
• Knowledge of professional and ethical standard of health care delivery and practice
• Capacity to administer treatment to patients while dealing with them in a sympathetic and tactful manner
• Ability to work and live with a diverse group of professionals
• Familiarity and interest in global health issues, especially maternal and child health issues
• Familiarity and interest in public and community health or preventative medicine
• Willingness to endure resource-limited working conditions and evening/weekend hours
• International experience or experience working in developing countries is preferred
• Experience as a supervisor, manager, teacher, trainer and/or any relevant leadership activities is preferred

Interested? Apply today!

Benefits & Conditions: Each international volunteer who serves 3 months or longer in the field receives a round-trip ticket to their placement site, housing, a monthly stipend, insurance coverage, storytelling and fundraising training, and the opportunity to contribute to vital community development initiatives for under-served populations while building a longstanding legacy for the community. Volunteers are required to share stories from the field and cover part of the cost of their placement through fundraising/contributions.

Contact & Application

To Apply: Submit an application online at www.cmmb.org/volunteer

Contact: Email : volunteer@cmmb.org Phone : 212-242-7757