Blog

About MSF

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid in more than 70 countries to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.

Main Purpose

Planning, organizing and carrying out laboratory activities and supervising the laboratory staff according to MSF protocols, security measures and hygiene standards, in order to support the MSF medical team in the diagnosis of patients’ diseases.

Accountabilities

• Participating in the project planning and follow-up and reviewing the laboratory budget when necessary in order to support MSF’s medical activities.
• Ensuring the compliance of MSF hygiene and safety protocols, both individually and collectively as well as informing staff of existing biological risks.
• Performing laboratory tests and carrying out sample collection (serology, hematology, biochemistry, bacteriology, parasitology …) in accordance with prescriptions as well as ensuring that quality control tests are carried out regularly. Informing the doctor of the results of the tests and keeping a record of the analysis with data from patients.
• Ensuring proper management (cleaning, maintenance, arranging) of all laboratory equipment and the adequate supply of needed equipment and material in order to prevent stock-outs. This includes being responsible for all required automatic instrument calibration, ensuring that no material is taken out of laboratories without prior authorization and carrying out a proper storage system and conditions, inventory, etc.  In cooperation with logistics department, ensuring that cold chain is properly maintained in Laboratory areas for both, samples and reagents.
• In the absence of a Laboratory Manager, ensuring proper registration and needs of all lab related activities and implementing a correct use of the associated management tool (EpyTryp. Etc.) in order to have a proper recording of laboratory activities. Preparing and sending slides/samples for external quality control .
• Supervising, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, coaching, evaluation, potential detection, development and communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required
• Ensuring  that all staff  using medical devices are qualified and trained. Ensuring  cleaning and minor maintenance tasks are performed  according to the protocols. Reporting any malfunction to the project biomedical service.
• Producing regular reports on the testing and on any issues / problems related to laboratory personnel and / or the material used.

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

• Perform different biomedical investigations and ensure all the procedure in the laboratory are adherent to the approved Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• Provide brief training on the new RDT for the medical staff responsible for testing at the MC sites.
• Implement all necessary laboratory guidelines and checklists to ensure quality control of testing at the VL laboratory and MC sites.
• Evaluate the laboratory services available in the Jinka General Hospital that are relevant to VL treatment and monitoring, including available equipment’s.
• Closely work with the hospital laboratory in-charge to establish external quality control for kala-azar microscopic and Direct Agglutination Test (DAT).
• Monitor and assess the situation in the Southomo zone and actively participate in any outbreak response, such as those related to malaria, cholera, and measles. Ensure that medical staff and laboratory services are well-equipped to provide effective diagnostic services for VL patients and are prepared to respond to any outbreaks or challenges that may arise.
• Establish a diagnostic network with government healthcare facilities and potential national NGOs, with a focus on regions where there is a high prevalence of suspected VL cases.