Pinoy doctors, non-medical workers urged to join MSF

INTERNATIONAL humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders has urged experienced and skilled medical and non-medical Filipino professionals to provide quality medical care to populations affected by conflicts and natural disasters.

The group, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also encouraged them to help places affected with epidemics and pandemics, and comfort residents excluded from healthcare.

In the opening program of the group’s week-long exhibit titled “#WeAreMSF: A Walk Through Photo Exhibit” on June 7, 2019, Filipino field physicians Shirly Pador and Karina Aguilar shared their stories from the frontlines of healthcare emergencies to the attendees of the event, which was held at the first level of Ayala Center Cebu.

The two doctors encouraged Filipino professionals, with at least two years of experience, to consider working for the humanitarian organization.

Pador said she first joined MSF as a member of its national emergency staff mobilized to respond to the needs during the super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

“That’s where I saw that the speed of MSF’s response to the emergency did not compromise the quality of care it gave to the affected population. The level of infection control measures in the tent hospital was amazing,” she said.

Pador decided she would join more overseas MSF missions, after seeing the standard of care the group provided during Yolanda.

For her part, Aguilar has been to 22 missions in nine conflict-stricken countries since joining MSF in 2012.

“I would encourage Pinoys to join MSF for them to have the opportunity to feel a sense of fulfillment that no other profession could offer. It is a road less traveled but it is a path worth taking,” she said.

On the last day of the exhibit on Wednesday, June 12, another Filipino doctor Morpheus Causing, former board president of MSF Hong Kong, will lead the closing ceremonies at 5 p.m. He will deliver a recruitment talk.

“I would like to invite both medical and non-medical professionals to our upcoming recruitment talk. Unknown to many, MSF does not only hire medical professionals. In our worldwide missions and projects, we work interdependently in multidisciplinary settings,” he said.

Causing said medical professionals concentrate in giving high quality patient care, while non-medical professionals give support.

“Logisticians, for example, see to it that medical supplies, equipment and other materials are enough for a hospital or clinic operation. HR (human resources) managers ensure that there is a good number of staff in a hospital and the finance team takes care of the budget and expenses,” he said.

As of 2018, MSF reported that 47 percent of its staff worldwide are non-medical professionals. /