The Medical Officer will be responsible for the following key duties:
- To contribute in the design and coordination of the delivery of medical services in the DRC for efficient and effective promotion, prevention and protection of the health and safety of WFP staff following the Wellness Strategy and the Country Strategic objective;
- Provide technical expertise, advice and solutions that support strategic results, and contribute to the formulation of country strategies and approaches where appropriate;
- Provide travel medicine services for staff on official travel, incorporating destination-specific health advice, facilitating access to immunization, prophylactic medications and travel medical kits;
- Manage, advise, and report on all health matters related to staff including;
- Performing and assessing medical examinations and clearances for national staff related to recruitment, periodic medical examination, pre-departure briefing for missions to the field, management or assistance with follow-up of chronic medical condition diagnosed and for which treatment has already started etc.
- Leave due to illness; or identifying health hazards for staff and/or dependents (work-related and/or environmental).
- Ensuring compliance to all UN medical protocols and recommendations (HIV/AIDS, first-aid training PEP kit country specific protocols including PICT and VCCT).
- Support WFP Country Offices in the management and monitoring of the implementation of the Service Level Agreement or Memoranda of Understanding regarding the sharing of DPKO/DFS Missions field medical services to WFP staff;
- Access and liaise with local medical facilities to ascertain proper medical care rendered and establish a referral list and updated list of reasonable and customary costs, whilst monitoring and verifying appropriateness, reasonableness and customary nature of major medical bills / treatment as required;
- With the Wellness Unit, work on alternative solutions to address the issues of fraud in medical facilities,
- Provide surge capacity to the corporate and UN system emergency response capacity including mass casualty incidents;
- Implement staff health training (e.g. ongoing COVID-19 awareness, malaria prevention measures, first aid training); Follow-up of occupational health and safety issues outside Covid 19 in terms of prevention and promotion
- The medical officer is NOT the primary care physician of WFP Staff: however, s/he does provide first aid emergency services in response to accidents occurring in the workplace;
- Follows-up and provides orientation to staff /dependents on health issues
- Preventive medical guidance to colleagues on measures to be applied during field missions
- Implement health and SOP training with Cooperating Partners in relation to aspects of WFPs operations where WFP staff could be at risk of COVID-19.
- Participate in pre planning of WFPs Emergency response operations (e.g., food distributions) to ensure discussions filter planning through a health lens alongside logistics etc. to ensure WFP staff have appropriate protection measures in place.
- Propose, assess, update as needed SOPs for staff protection, in specific higher risk occupational settings (e.g., food distributions, ports and warehouses with casual laborers, drivers and cleaners).
- Coordinate with health sector colleagues on the UNCTs to improve healthcare access for UN staff and family members;
- Assess and respond to increase of disease incidents among WFP staff (e.g., high incidence rate of malaria in sub offices);
- Assess disease outbreaks or other environmental hazards that could have impact on WFP’s operations and recommend mitigating measures;
- Monitor WFP activities and needs involving health issues: Road traffic accidents involving physical harm to third parties, management of mortal remains
- Identify (confidentially) staff with stress or other psychological concerns and coordinate assistance as appropriate with Regional Staff Counsellor and the UNDSS Counsellor;
- In close collaboration with the HR unit and the RBJ wellness team, manage medical evacuations for all staff and their dependents as per WFP processes.
- Represent WFP in relevant medical platforms and meetings.
- Other tasks and responsibilities as delegated by the Regional Medical Officer, the Regional Staff Counsellor, the Management of the DRC CO or the Staff wellness team of RBJ.