Head Of Medical Unit Lazio

Head Of Medical Unit
Roma
Lazio, Lazio

Overview:

**Background

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a leading international independent medical humanitarian organisation, dedicated to providing expert medical relief to vulnerable populations at times of conflict or disaster.

In 88 countries worldwide, MSF provides both life-saving emergency relief and longer-term assistance to make basic healthcare services available to the most vulnerable or excluded communities.

The Italian section of MSF contributes to the International MSF movement through human resources, fundraising, communication, support to field operations and programmes.

The "Programmes Department" is a new organizational set-up, which is currently tested in Italy.

It is organized in three main areas (hereafter also "units"): the Operations Unit, the Medical Unit and the Humanitarian Affairs Unit.

The main objectives of the Department are: i) manage OCB operations in Italy; ii) improve MSF Italy medical and humanitarian profile and support worldwide operations through the development of specific capacity and skills; iii) optimize and implement effective humanitarian affairs and advocacy activities, addressing medical-humanitarian priorities in relation to operational needs and the Italian context.

The OCB operational portfolio in Italy currently comprises two projects, in Rome and Palermo.

The project in Rome has the objective to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) and care for women living in vulnerable and marginalized migrant communities, in housing occupations, informal settlements and deprived areas, in collaboration with the local health authorities.

The focus is to facilitate access to medical services for target population through raising awareness on current barriers to access to services, promoting the dissemination of good practices and highlighting specific needs of the immigrant population.

The project in Palermo aims at the implementation of integrated multidisciplinary care and assistance for immigrants and asylum seekers who have survived grave forms of intentional violence, including torture, through a public/private partnership involving institutional actors and civil society organizations.

In particular, the project is focused on health promotion activities in formal migrant reception centers as well as in the migrant communities based in Palermo; provision of socio - legal assistance and support; sharing of information and orientation to medical and social services.

**Scope, reporting and accountability lines

Reporting to the Director of the Programmes Department, the Head of the Medical Unit (HMU) will contribute, directly and indirectly, to foster reflection on medical themes and improve the quality of medical action by:

- ensuring the strengthening and recognition of MSF IT medical positioning, at national level and within the MSF movement.

- planning and coordinating the implementation of the overall medical strategies relevant to operations in Italy, in the framework of partnerships with MSF OCB, following MSF ethics and values, health policies, protocols and operational plan.

**Responsibilities**:

- **Contribution to MSF ITALY

- Coordinate and facilitate critical thinking and new ideas on MSF medical action, through the organization of thematic platforms and the encouragement of debates and exchange on medical matters

- Increase the organization's internal capacity to implement programs/projects/components that are in accordance with MSF's standards

- Capitalize MSF IT experience and disseminate lessons learned and provide medical content for different publication channels, in collaboration with the COM and FR Departments

- Produce scientific documents for publication and circulation within and outside MSF through investigations and studies conducted to systematize and share knowledge

- Support the circulation of medical information in reference to the public awareness activities

- Hold lectures and seminars in university courses, masters, and training organized by health institutions, hospitals, medical associations, scientific society on MSF topics

- Establish relationships and develop networks with the Italian scientific community involved in medical humanitarian topics, always with a focus on possible opportunities to contribute to operational needs

- Strengthen our medical advocacy and institutional representation on issues relevant to the Italian context.

Support the Humanitarian Affairs Unit in the implementation of the medical advocacy.

- Participates in the planning, definition and sizing of the health-staff employed in the Italian operations to ensure the implementation of medical activities.

- Is responsible for the follow up of staff health portfolios related to the field staff deployed in Italy and oversea and contributes when appropriate to ensure the implementation of its medical evacuation

- **Contribution to MSF movement

- Contribute to the creation & update of health-related dossiers and med