This role requires capable and autonomous management of surgical patients with Acquired or Congenital Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND AND ORGANISATION OF WORK

The Cardiac Surgeon will work as part of a team of international specialists – experts or in training – organising and directing the training of the local medical and health care staff in his/her area of responsibility, in collaboration with the international surgeons and the Medical Coordinator who is in charge of the management and organisation of the project.

Cardiac surgical activity requires the direct involvement of other professional figures – from the medical, clinical services and nursing areas – in the process of diagnosing and treating patients.

The main areas of work are:

• OPERATING THEATRES: 3 operating theatres equipped to carry out Cardiac Surgery.

The international Cardiac Surgeon will work in Operating Theatres as first or second surgeon: the distribution of the various tasks will be decided on the basis of individual skills and expertise. The Salam Centre has the capacity to carry out up to 5-6 operations per day, as well as managing possible hospital emergencies.
The workload is distributed in such a way as to guarantee patient care 24/7, in shifts which may vary according to the clinical needs and organisational set-up of the centre. On-call will include nights and holidays.

DUTIES AND REPONSIBILITIES

All EMERGENCY international personnel are expected to know and follow the hospital admissions criteria, guidelines, protocols, and the diagnosis and treatment standards in use in the Centre, and to ensure the correct compilation of clinical records and statistics in both computer and paper formats.

The main duties and responsibilities of the international Cardiac Surgeon are:

• decision-making regarding proposed treatment options, in discussion with the cardiologists and the cardiac anaesthetists;
• management of surgical procedures;
• management of surgery-related activity in the Centre: patient and family consultation, dressings, drains…;
• assisting in clinical research and record keeping as required by the scientific programmes of the specialist sector of the Medical Division of EMERGENCY.

In the post-operative period you will work in close collaboration with the cardiac anaesthetists responsible for Intensive Care, and with the cardiologists for patients on the ward or in the High Dependency Unit.

MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING OF LOCAL PERSONNEL

Clinical activities and patient care are always carried out alongside and in collaboration with local personnel, who thus benefit from training in the field. There is also provision for more specific teaching activities, managed by the international specialists, in accordance with the clinical protocols in use and as agreed with the Medical Coordinator.

CASELOAD AND EQUIPMENT

“SALAM” CENTRE FOR CARDIAC SURGERY – Khartoum, Sudan

Patients with every type of congenital and acquired heart disease present at the centre. The caseload is extremely varied and may at times be pre-selected according to the experience of the specialists present in a given period. Most patients presenting at the hospital are seriously compromised: the main cause of this is that the health care system and therefore treatment, both in the Country and in the region as a whole, is fee-paying.

Since 2007 the Salam Centre has been the only completely free cardiac surgery centre in the region. The Centre forms the scientific and operational nucleus of a network of paediatric clinics situated in neighbouring Countries which also carry out screening and follow-up for both adult and paediatric cardiac surgery patients.

The most common pathologies treated are valvular cardiopathy of rheumatic origin (RHD – Rheumatic Heart Disease), congenital heart disease suitable for surgical treatment, and ischemic heart disease in the non-acute phase; over the past 10 years of activity (2008 – 2017) around 55% of patients admitted have been under 26 years of age.

Due to the advanced level of work carried out, the equipment available and technical, architectural and managerial innovations, the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery is considered a centre of excellence at an international level.

GUIDELINES, PROTOCOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Further information on the guidelines, protocols and clinical services relevant to the post along with details of the instruments and equipment available will be provided at interview and during the period of preparation for the mission.
The general requirements and conditions apply to all the international staff.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

• Medical degree, and current professional registration on the medical register of your Country of residence;
• specialisation in Cardiac Surgery with at least 5 years’ relevant professional experience as first surgeon;
• second surgeons with a good level of technical autonomy in the pre and post-bypass stages are also required.

In order to proceed with the selection process, the following documentation must be produced in addition to the CV:

– surgical case history signed by the Hospital Health Management or Institute where you work, from the beginning of your career to the current date
– certificates of hospital positions held since the beginning of your career, related to clinical and non-academic activity

REQUIRED AVAILABILITY

6 months’ overseas stay including a period of leave to be taken at the end of the mission in agreement with the coordinator. Shorter missions may only be considered for specific needs as defined by the organisation.