Pediatrician looking for NGO work in the PhilippinesWhat type of job are you looking for? Primarily in the medical field, this can be as a doctor running clinics, but I would also be interested in consultancy work, improving and modernising medical services offered by local NGOs. I want to work primarily with the poor of the country, though am happy either in rural or urban areas - I have experience in both. My main specialty is pediatrics, and I am most comfortable in pediatric work. However I do try to keep myself updated with advances in adult medicine as well. What nationality are you? British What languages do you speak (and at what level)? Native English speaker. Fluent in Filipino (Tagalog.) I also speak a little Polish and French. What country or area are you looking to work in and why? The Philippines. It has been my home for the past 3 years, but I have had close links here for almost 20 years. I love the people and would love to continue helping improve the healthcare of the poor people in this country. What countries have you worked in? Great Britain, the Philippines. What countries do you have a visa to work in? I currently have a work permit for the Philippines as a "Medical Consultant" but it expires on March 31 2011. It may be possible for another NGO to 'take over' the current work permit, though it is fairly easy to re-apply. As a British citizen I can work anytime in Britain. What field do you currently work in? Medical consultancy with an NGO in Tondo and Navotas. I have been involved with programs for improving the healthcare for some of Metro Manila's poorest residents, including regular clinics and education sessions. The community we served was students at our elementary school and their families. This was extended to cover the local communities as well. Significant work was done in cooperation with the local DOTS centers to work towards TB reduction. I was also involved in the modernisation and improvement of the healthcare services offered by the organisation, including a proper system of medical records and the use of evidence based treatments. Unfortunately this NGO currently has severe problems with funding and has had to make massive redundancies across the staff, especially in the health department. I am also currently on the medical advisory board for another large NGO working across the Visayas and Mindanao. What fields have you worked in before? I worked in adult medicine and surgery for 1 year in Britain, before 7 years of experience as a pediatrician and neonatalogist in UK hospitals. I worked for 2 years with an NGO in Zambales province, bringing healthcare to remote Aeta tribal communities, living in farflung mountain barangays. We would travel several times a month by 4wd vehicle or carabao cart to 5 separate communities, bringing medical care and basic health education to these areas. I was also instrumental in the construction of a system to bring clean drinking water to one of these villages. Significant improvements in the health conditions of these communities were seen over these 2 years. What qualifications do you hold? MBChB in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Sheffield, UK Newborn Life Support, from the Resuscitation Council, Manchester, UK. DOTS basic provider, from PhilCAT, Philippine DOH National Internship from Hope City Church, Sheffield UK (equivalent to a 1 year Bible School course) Which do you consider more valuable? Formal education or skills and why? In medical work, both are essential and irreplaceable. Formal education needs to be continuous to ensure the best methods and treatments are being used - I keep myself up to date by use of online teaching methods, attending conferences and by reading journals. Skills learnt over time are vital as well, 8 years of hospital work in Britain gave me an excellent grounding in all the skills used in pediatric and neonatal care. The following 3 years working in NGOs in the Philippines have given me a wide range of experience in working with the poor in both urban and rural environments, plus a good command of the language. Describe the benefits of working with others Almost all medical work is as part of a team. The doctor alone can only care for a part of the patient, just as important are the work of the nurse, the social workers, physiotherapists, schoolteachers and many others... Without cooperation, understanding and communication between all the people involved in caring for and developing a person and a community, the results of their efforts will lack direction, may be opposite directions and will achieve far less. A multidisciplinary approach is essential in improving the health of a community and with the individual care (especially for more complicated patients.) Effective communication with other related agencies, both NGO and government is also necessary in very many cases. Describe the benefits of working alone When actually talking with patients, a quiet, confidential atmosphere is necessary to encourage them to speak freely and to feel more comfortable in their care. This is distinctly preferable to consultations in front of other people with little or no privacy. What was your worst working experience? Working in a large neonatal hospital in Britain where the senior medical staff could not agree on patient care and refused to communicate with each other. Instead they each made separate decisions, then shouted at the overworked and stressed junior doctors (as well as the nurses) when these people followed the decisions of the other senior staff. It lead to a demoralised staff, but more importantly to dangerous changes in the medical care for several babies as their treatments would be changed back and forth depending on which boss was on duty on each day. This taught me a huge amount about the value of communication and understanding between team members. What is the most important lesson you have learnt throughout your career? To try as a doctor to always maintain the correct level of focus. When in a consultation with a patient, the primary concern has to be that patient, with some thoughts towards their family and their immediate community. When involved in planning and development meetings with other staff members, the focus needs to be much broader, on the whole community and its needs and how best to benefit them. But also, in both cases, it is vital to LISTEN. If you cure a patient of what you think their problem is, but have not tackled their biggest concern, then you have failed in that consultation. If when bringing healthcare to a community, you fail to address the actual needs and desires of that community, by being inflexible and rigidly sticking to past programs and not being willing to accept new ideas, then you have also failed. What unique skills do you have? I have an international perspective on the world, I was brought up in Hong Kong, then trained in Britain before working and having a family in the Philippines. I never disregard the experience and wisom of others when making decisions, but try to look at what will be the best for a certain situation. I have good planning abilities. I am a fully trained pediatrician who has worked in extremely technically advanced hospitals, yet also in remote mountain villages equipped only with what I could bring in my backpack. I am highly adaptable and learn new skills very quickly. What would you consider as your 'dream job'? The Philippines has large sections of its population that have very little access to proper health care, either through poverty and an inability to pay, or through a genuine lack of services. I would love to be involved in developing an excellent health service to work with these people, especially children. Just because they have no money, or live a long way from the nearest city should not mean they get no access to high quality care. I would love to use my experience both in the Philippines and abroad to ensure they do get it. What are the most interesting aspects of your field? The interaction with patients. Getting to talk with people. I am always especially pleased when spending a little extra time with a patient, listening in the right way or just asking the right question can bring out a correct diagnosis or ensure that someone gets the correct treatment. What are the least interesting aspects of your field? Paperwork! Filing and organising are essential and necessary in healthcare, but I don't have to enjoy them. How do you deal with conflict in the workplace? It depends who the conflict is with. If I disagree with my superior, then I will wait until I can discuss it with them in private. I then will state my side of the case as clearly as possible, but without gettig angry. I will give the reasons for what I believe and any supporting evidence. However, once I have said all this, I believe the final decision and the final responsibility lies with the boss, so I respect their decision and follow it. In case of a confict with a junior member of staff, i listen to their complaint and weigh up whether or not they have a genuine case for their concern and whether or not I need to change my practice. I am always prepared to change whenever necessary. However, if I am correct in my initial thinking, I explain this to the staff member along with my reasons, plus where they can seek further guidance on the matter. When others are in conflict, I listen carefully to both sides of the argument and always try to get both parties to understand the feelings and reasons of the other. If I am the senior in that situation I will then weigh up the whole case and decide what needs to be done in terms of practice, but also what to say to the other staff members to be able to resolve the conflict. How can potential employers contact you? By email - richardjameshartland@hotmail.com By landline - 02 4545 705 By cellphone - 0912 543 7184 | 
