MD Doctor

1. Background

Health, Disability and Development Organization (HDDO) is non-Profit, non-governmental and non-political National Organization established in January 2020 under Reg: No:4886 with Ministry of Economic, HDDO is also registered with MoPH by the registration number of 662. HDDO is register with the Ministry of Refuges HDDO is member of the Ministry of Public Health Disability and Rehabilitation working group and the member of Community Based Rehabilitation network. HDDO provided quality services so far in 9 provinces as a professional Organization and as agent of change for Victims of war/ conflicts and Person with Disabilities. HDDO is active member of the Health cluster and reproductive health working group as well. HDDO implements humanitarian and development interventions in areas including primary healthcare, nutrition, physical rehabilitation, disability inclusion, psychosocial support, WASH, community engagement and emergency response.

The project, “Strengthening Life-Saving Integrated WASH & Health Response for Conflict- and Disaster-Affected Communities in Kunar and Nuristan Provinces,” is funded by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and implemented by HDDO over a nine-month period.

The project aims to strengthen access to essential WASH and health services for conflict- and disaster-affected communities in Kunar and Nuristan. Quality primary health care services are a critical component of this response, particularly for communities facing barriers to timely diagnosis, treatment, preventive care, and referral to higher-level facilities.

The project-supported Medical Doctors will provide clinical consultations and appropriate treatment, support preventive health services, stabilize emergency cases within their clinical competence and available resources, and ensure that patients requiring additional care are referred appropriately. They will also contribute to the supervision of health facility staff, quality improvement, infection prevention and control, accurate health information reporting, and coordination with relevant health authorities.

2. Purpose of the Position

The Medical Doctor is responsible for providing safe, effective, respectful, and evidence-informed primary health care services at an assigned project-supported health facility in Kunar Province.

The post holder will deliver curative and preventive consultations, assess and manage patients within the scope of professional competence and available services, recognize emergency conditions, initiate appropriate stabilization, and arrange timely referrals for cases requiring higher-level care. The doctor will also contribute to maternal and child health services, disease prevention, health education, infection prevention and control, clinical documentation, and routine HMIS reporting.

The Medical Doctor will support the day-to-day functioning and quality of the health facility by guiding relevant health staff, monitoring service delivery, identifying gaps, and coordinating with the project management team and relevant health authorities.

 3. Key Responsibilities

3.1. Primary Health Care and Clinical Consultation

1. Provide clinical consultations to patients attending the assigned health facility in accordance with approved BPHS service packages, clinical protocols, and professional standards.
2. Take relevant patient histories, conduct appropriate physical examinations, assess presenting complaints, and develop clinical management plans.
3. Diagnose and manage common illnesses and health conditions within the doctor's professional competence, facility capacity, and approved treatment protocols.
4. Prescribe medicines and treatments responsibly, following approved guidelines, contraindications, dosage requirements, and applicable prescribing regulations.
5. Explain diagnoses, treatment options, medication instructions, and follow-up requirements to patients or caregivers in a clear and respectful manner.
6. Identify patients requiring additional assessment, specialist consultation, diagnostic services, or referral to higher-level facilities.
7. Ensure that clinical decisions prioritize patient safety, evidence-based practice, and the best interests of the patient.
8. Maintain respectful communication and protect the dignity, privacy, and confidentiality of every patient.
9. Avoid unnecessary investigations, prescriptions, or treatments that are not clinically justified or supported by applicable protocols and available resources.
10. Ensure that patients are not discriminated against based on sex, age, disability, ethnicity, displacement status, socioeconomic circumstances, or other characteristics.

3.2. Emergency Assessment and Stabilization

1. Assess patients presenting with urgent or potentially life-threatening conditions and determine the appropriate level of clinical response.
2. Recognize danger signs and prioritize patients according to the urgency of their clinical needs.
3. Initiate appropriate emergency stabilization within the doctor's competence, facility capacity, and available equipment and supplies.
4. Arrange timely referral and safe transfer for patients requiring services unavailable at the assigned facility.
5. Communicate relevant clinical information to receiving facilities and referral providers in accordance with established procedures.
6. Ensure that emergency care and referral decisions are documented accurately.
7. Coordinate with relevant facility staff to maintain readiness for emergency response and appropriate use of available emergency supplies.
8. Report significant clinical incidents, referral delays, equipment gaps, or other issues that may compromise patient safety to the designated supervisor.
9. Provide clear instructions to patients and caregivers regarding urgent warning signs and the need for further care.
10. Participate in approved emergency preparedness and response activities relevant to the health facility.

3.3. Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health

1. Provide appropriate clinical assessment and care for women, newborns, and children within the scope of the facility's approved services and the doctor's competence.
2. Support maternal and child health services in accordance with applicable MoPH guidance and BPHS protocols.
3. Identify danger signs during pregnancy, the postnatal period, and childhood illness and arrange timely referral when indicated.
4. Provide appropriate clinical assessment and management of common childhood illnesses, following approved protocols.
5. Promote essential preventive health practices, including appropriate immunization uptake, nutrition awareness, breastfeeding support, and timely care-seeking, within the scope of the service package.
6. Coordinate with midwives, nurses, vaccinators, CHWs, and other relevant staff to maintain continuity of care.
7. Ensure that women and caregivers receive clear information about available services, follow-up appointments, and referral options.
8. Protect patient privacy and dignity during examinations and consultations, particularly for women, adolescents, and children.
9. Recognize situations requiring specialized obstetric, neonatal, pediatric, or other care and facilitate referral without undue delay.
10. Ensure that all maternal and child health services are documented according to approved facility procedures.

3.4. Preventive Health Care and Health Education

1. Deliver or support preventive health services within the approved health facility service package.
2. Educate patients and caregivers on disease prevention, early recognition of danger signs, treatment adherence, and appropriate follow-up.
3. Promote appropriate health-seeking behavior and timely use of available primary health care services.
4. Provide health education on common communicable diseases, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, and other locally relevant public health concerns.
5. Coordinate with CHWs and community outreach staff to reinforce consistent, accurate health messages.
6. Support health education activities related to safe water, sanitation, handwashing, personal hygiene, and prevention of waterborne diseases.
7. Identify recurring health concerns and communicate relevant trends to the supervisor and appropriate health authorities through approved channels.
8. Participate in approved health campaigns, outreach activities, and community awareness events when required.
9. Ensure that health education is culturally appropriate, understandable, and accessible to different population groups.
10. Avoid sharing unverified medical information or making claims outside the scope of approved health guidance.

3.5. Clinical Quality and Patient Safety

1. Ensure that clinical services are delivered in accordance with applicable professional standards, MoPH guidance, BPHS requirements, and approved clinical protocols.
2. Promote safe clinical practice, accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and continuity of care.
3. Review patient management where clinically indicated and seek specialist or supervisory guidance for cases beyond the doctor's competence.
4. Identify risks to patient safety and report them through the appropriate facility and project management channels.
5. Support the development and implementation of practical corrective actions to address identified gaps in clinical quality.
6. Ensure that patient examinations, procedures, prescriptions, and treatment decisions are appropriately documented.
7. Promote respectful communication, informed consent, confidentiality, and patient participation in care decisions.
8. Support the appropriate management of patient complaints and service-related concerns, referring them through approved channels.
9. Cooperate with authorized clinical supervision, quality reviews, and monitoring visits.
10. Never falsify clinical records, service statistics, prescriptions, referral documentation, or other official records.

3.6. Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

1. Implement applicable infection prevention and control measures in all clinical activities.
2. Promote proper hand hygiene and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
3. Ensure that clinical staff follow approved procedures for safe patient care, instrument handling, and disposal of sharps and infectious waste.
4. Support the maintenance of clean and safe consultation and treatment areas.
5. Identify and report IPC-related risks, shortages of essential supplies, unsafe practices, and potential exposure incidents.
6. Reinforce the application of standard precautions and other relevant infection control measures among health facility staff.
7. Support appropriate triage, separation, or referral arrangements for patients with suspected communicable diseases in accordance with approved protocols.
8. Coordinate with relevant facility personnel to ensure that IPC supplies are used responsibly and replenished through approved procedures.
9. Participate in IPC training and apply updated technical guidance.
10. Maintain confidentiality and follow established reporting procedures when managing suspected infectious disease cases or exposure incidents.

3.7. Referral and Continuity of Care

1. Identify patients whose clinical needs exceed the service capacity of the assigned facility.
2. Arrange referrals to appropriate higher-level health facilities in accordance with approved referral procedures.
3. Stabilize patients before referral when clinically indicated and within available capacity.
4. Complete referral forms and provide relevant clinical information to support continuity of care.
5. Explain the reason for referral and the importance of timely follow-up to patients and caregivers.
6. Coordinate with receiving facilities and relevant project staff when necessary and permitted under established procedures.
7. Maintain referral records and monitor referral completion where the project has an established follow-up mechanism.
8. Identify barriers to referral completion, including transport, accessibility, financial, communication, or other constraints, and report them to the supervisor.
9. Respect patient consent, privacy, and confidentiality throughout the referral process.
10. Never delay an urgent referral solely because administrative paperwork is incomplete when immediate action is clinically necessary; complete the required documentation as soon as practicable.

3.8. Supervision and Support to Health Facility Staff

1. Provide appropriate clinical guidance and day-to-day support to nurses, midwives, vaccinators, and other relevant health facility personnel within the established organizational structure.
2. Promote teamwork, respectful communication, and coordinated patient care among health facility staff.
3. Support staff in applying approved clinical protocols, IPC procedures, patient documentation requirements, and referral processes.
4. Identify training and mentoring needs and communicate them to the project manager or designated health supervisor.
5. Conduct supportive supervision or clinical case discussions where assigned and within the doctor's professional competence.
6. Review relevant service delivery records and provide constructive feedback to improve quality and accuracy.
7. Ensure that staff concerns affecting patient safety, service quality, or continuity of care are raised through appropriate channels.
8. Encourage professional development, learning, and adherence to ethical clinical practice.
9. Coordinate staff responsibilities with the designated supervisor and avoid making unauthorized changes to staffing arrangements.
10. Escalate serious performance, misconduct, safeguarding, or patient safety concerns in accordance with HDDO policies.

3.9. Health Information Management and HMIS Reporting

1. Maintain accurate, complete, and timely clinical and service delivery records using approved facility registers, patient files, and reporting forms.
2. Ensure that consultations, diagnoses, treatments, referrals, and other required services are recorded accurately.
3. Review relevant facility records for completeness and internal consistency before submission.
4. Support compliance with MoPH and applicable HMIS reporting standards and schedules.
5. Submit required routine reports to the designated supervisor and relevant reporting focal points within established deadlines.
6. Coordinate with designated data or MEAL staff during routine verification, monitoring, and data quality checks.
7. Maintain appropriate confidentiality and restrict access to patient records to authorized personnel.
8. Correct identified errors through approved procedures while preserving the integrity of clinical records.
9. Report significant service trends, suspected disease clusters, unusual increases in consultations, or other relevant public health concerns through established channels.
10. Never fabricate, inflate, duplicate, or intentionally misrepresent service statistics or clinical information.

3.10. Accountability to Patients and Communities

1. Treat all patients and caregivers with dignity, respect, and fairness.
2. Explain clinical assessments, treatment plans, available options, and referral requirements in a language patients can understand.
3. Obtain informed consent for examinations, procedures, and treatment as required by professional standards and applicable protocols.
4. Respect patients' right to ask questions, participate in decisions, and raise concerns about services.
5. Ensure that patient care is provided without discrimination, exploitation, coercion, or unauthorized charges.
6. Inform patients about available service-related feedback and complaints channels.
7. Handle patient concerns professionally and refer complaints through established HDDO mechanisms.
8. Protect the confidentiality of complaints and avoid retaliation or discriminatory treatment against complainants.
9. Consider the needs of persons with disabilities, older patients, children, and other individuals who may require reasonable accommodation or additional support.
10. Support community trust through consistent, safe, respectful, and reliable clinical services.

3.11. Safeguarding, PSEA, and Professional Ethics

1. Comply with HDDO's Code of Conduct, safeguarding policies, PSEA requirements, and relevant workplace protection procedures.
2. Maintain professional boundaries with patients, caregivers, colleagues, and community members.
3. Never exploit a patient's vulnerability or request money, gifts, sexual favors, or other personal benefits in exchange for care or referral.
4. Protect children and adults at risk from abuse, exploitation, neglect, discrimination, and inappropriate conduct within the scope of the role.
5. Report safeguarding concerns, suspected exploitation or abuse, harassment, fraud, or other misconduct through designated HDDO channels.
6. Maintain confidentiality when receiving or referring sensitive information and share it only with authorized personnel.
7. Do not independently investigate allegations of safeguarding violations or misconduct.
8. Follow applicable professional licensing, medical ethics, informed consent, and patient confidentiality requirements.
9. Participate in required safeguarding, PSEA, patient safety, and Code of Conduct training.
10. Ensure that clinical authority is never used to intimidate, exploit, discriminate against, or improperly influence patients or colleagues.

3.12. Risk Management, Security, and Other Duties

1. Follow HDDO security procedures and relevant health facility safety requirements.
2. Report security incidents, threats, injuries, occupational hazards, and other risks through established channels.
3. Maintain readiness to respond to reasonable changes in service demand or emergency health needs within the scope of professional competence.
4. Protect medical equipment, records, supplies, and other project resources entrusted to the postholder.
5. Participate in relevant training, reviews, and project activities as required.
6. Perform other reasonable clinical and health-service-related duties assigned by the authorized supervisor, provided they are consistent with professional qualifications, competence, and project objectives.

4. Key Deliverables

The Medical Doctor is expected to contribute to the following deliverables during the nine-month project period:

1. Clinical service delivery: Timely and appropriate consultations and treatment in line with approved service packages and clinical protocols.
2. Emergency response: Appropriate initial assessment and stabilization of emergency cases, with timely referral where required.
3. Maternal and child health: Quality clinical support for eligible women, newborns, and children within the facility's approved services.
4. Referral management: Complete referral documentation and appropriate coordination for patients requiring higher-level care.
5. Clinical documentation: Accurate and complete patient records, prescriptions, registers, and treatment documentation.
6. HMIS reporting: Timely submission of accurate routine service statistics and reports in accordance with applicable requirements.
7. Clinical quality and patient safety: Compliance with approved protocols, ethical standards, IPC requirements, and patient safety procedures.
8. Staff supervision and mentoring: Appropriate clinical guidance and support to relevant health facility staff.
9. Medicines and supplies monitoring: Timely reporting of shortages, expiry risks, and equipment or supply issues affecting service delivery.
10. Health education and prevention: Contribution to patient education and relevant preventive health activities.
11. Coordination: Effective communication with project management, facility personnel, CHWs, and relevant health authorities.
12. Safeguarding and accountability: Compliance with PSEA, safeguarding, confidentiality, and patient feedback procedures.
13. Quality improvement: Participation in monitoring, supervision, clinical reviews, and corrective actions.

Specific service targets, reporting schedules, and performance benchmarks will be defined in the approved project work plan, facility service package, and applicable health reporting framework.

5. Qualifications and Experience

Education

·       Recognized medical degree (MD) from an accredited medical institution.

·       Valid professional registration, license, or authorization to practice medicine in Afghanistan, as required by the relevant authorities.

·       Training in emergency care, infection prevention and control, maternal and child health, or other relevant clinical areas.

Professional Experience

·        At least 4 years of relevant clinical experience in primary health care or a comparable health service setting.

·       Experience with HMIS reporting, clinical documentation, and routine data quality checks.

·       Previous experience working with an NGO, humanitarian health project, or emergency response program in Afghanistan.

6. Skills and Competencies

Technical Skills

The postholder should demonstrate:

1.     Clinical judgment: Ability to assess and manage patients within professional competence and approved protocols.

2.     Emergency response: Ability to recognize urgent conditions, initiate appropriate stabilization, and arrange referral.

3.     Patient safety: Commitment to safe, ethical, and evidence-informed care.

4.     Clinical documentation: Ability to maintain complete and accurate patient records.

5.     HMIS competency: Ability to compile and submit routine health service information accurately and on time.

6.     Supervision and teamwork: Ability to support and guide relevant health facility staff constructively.

7.     Communication: Ability to explain health information and treatment plans clearly and respectfully.

8.     Coordination: Ability to work with project teams, CHWs, facility staff, and relevant health authorities.

9.     Confidentiality: Ability to protect patient information and handle sensitive cases appropriately.

10.  Integrity and accountability: Commitment to professional ethics, transparent reporting, and responsible resource use.

 7. Language Requirements

·        Pashto and/or Dari: Proficiency in the language or languages needed to communicate effectively with patients and caregivers in the assigned location.

·        Written communication: Ability to complete clinical documentation and routine reports in the language required by the facility and project.

·        Additional languages: Knowledge of other relevant local languages is an advantage.

 8. Core Competencies

The Medical Doctor must demonstrate:

·        Professional integrity and adherence to medical ethics.

·        Respect for patient dignity, autonomy, and confidentiality.

·        Commitment to evidence-informed and safe clinical practice.

·        Impartiality and non-discrimination in patient care.

·        Accountability for clinical decisions, documentation, and professional conduct.

·        Respectful teamwork and constructive communication.

·        Commitment to safeguarding, PSEA, and protection from abuse and exploitation.

·        Responsible use of medicines, equipment, and other health resources.

·        Willingness to accept clinical supervision and participate in continuous learning.

·        Compliance with HDDO policies and applicable MoPH requirements.

Qualified Afghan applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes ASAP with a detailed application/ cover letter in one document, including a Vacancy #, contact number, Email address.

Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be given Consideration. Only those candidates will be called for interview who meets the qualification and requirement for the mentioned position.

Qualified applicant can send their CV and interest letter to: hr@hddo.ngo

Submission Email: hr@hddo.ngo