Organization: Naankuse Foundation
Location: Namibia
The Lifeline Clinic is looking for 1 doctor to start July 2019 for 12 months or longer. This is a unique opportunity to provide primary and pre-hospital care to the San and is a position with food, accommodation, and a living allowance provided. It would be beneficial to be able to start as early as possible in June to have a handover prior to running the clinic.
The N/a’an ku sê Foundation is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the San. The San are considered to be amongst the oldest peoples in the world. They are traditionally hunter-gatherers but in recent times have been forced from their original lands. This has resulted in many of the San people living in extreme poverty. They also suffer from discrimination, marginalisation, domination and exploitation. Their average life expectancy is just 48 years (compared to a national average of 67).
N/a’an ku sê’s Lifeline Clinic caters primarily for the San population living within a 100k radius of Pos 3 in the remote Omaheke region. The team of 8 (doctor, clinic manager, clinic nurse, receptionist, 4 translators) provides primary healthcare services and pre-hospital care from a well-equipped clinic. Outreach clinics to villages and farms enable Lifeline to reach patients who otherwise would not be able to access basic healthcare. The clinic team works alongside the nurse-led state clinics and regional hospital in Gobabis.
Doctors are primarily based in the clinic, but also run fortnightly outreach clinics to San settlements in the region. Additionally, due to the large tuberculosis burden amongst the San population, recent work has involved TB active case finding outreach trips.
Skills Needed
Applicants should have a minimum of 2 years clinical experience, ideally including general medicine, primary care or emergency medicine. The job is suitable for anyone from post-F2 or above
You will also need a full driving licence.
Most importantly you need to be flexible, resilient and tolerant – the work is highly rewarding but the logistics of providing a quality service can be challenging in rural Africa!
Reasons to apply
The clinic is an important focal point for the San, offering a unique opportunity to work with and get to know members of the San community.
The outreach trips to remote settlements across the beautiful Kalahari sandveld provide important insights into the barriers to healthcare for the San population.
You will gain independence and confidence in your clinical work, with opportunities for implementing improvements to service delivery.
You will be working in a well-resourced clinic, with close links to government services.
Excellent C.V. building for those interested in General Practice, Global Health, Public Health,Infectious Diseases, and Project Management.
Your impact in the San communities is tangible, with many examples each month of patients accessing definitive care due to the clinic’s work.Application Process
Contact LifelineClinic@naankuse.com to express your interest and if you have any questions.
Submission of an up to date C.V.
Phone Interview (e.g. over Skype/Whatsapp)
