Consultant for Provision of oxygen scale up support for COVID-19 response

1. Purpose of the Position

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop training package to provide technical support to ministry of health in the area of oxygen scale up assessment, installation, maintenance, safety and capacity building of the local biomedical technicians and training of the local staffs.

2. Organizational context

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and is a Grade 3 emergency under the Emergency Response Framework and has been declared an event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations.

A PHEIC is an extraordinary event which constitutes a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and potentially requires a coordinated international response. Should a PHEIC be declared, the Emergency Committee issues temporary recommendations for countries that are binding to IHR Member States.

WHO Regional Office for Europe has scaled up its support to priority countries, to ensure the health response mechanisms are fully functional to support the response to COVID-19. During the COVID-19 outbreak, regular supply chains of essential medicines and health technologies have been disrupted, including access to quality oxygen supply. Ensuring sustainable access to quality medicines and health technologies during this period is challenging.

Oxygen is an essential medicine required at all levels of the health care system. Oxygen safety and quality must be ensured along a reliable supply chain of medical oxygen. Oxygen demand for COVID-19 Case Management is higher than for other oxygen therapies.

3. Description of duties

For junior specialist

Deliverables:
1. Conduct assessment of biomedical equipment and oxygen capacity and safety in the hospitals and health facilities to determine the availability, functionality and utilization of the equipment using WHO existing tools
Activity:
1.1 Conduct biomedical equipment and oxygen capacity and safety assessment at national and regional level hospitals in the country and produce recommendation the functionality, maintenance and need for replacement status of the equipment and oxygen supply scale up.
1.2 Provide technical support and Install, adjust, maintain biomedical equipment in different national, state and regional hospitals.
1.3 Troubleshoot problems arising in the installation and commissioning of medical equipment.
1.4 Develop specifications for equipment to be procured and provide support for purchases of medical equipment and supplies as appropriate.
1.5 Conduct review of common procurement/ maintenance management practices to identify good practices and new innovative strategies for access to, essential diagnostics and medical devices.
Deliverable:
2. Provide technical support for national capacity development, training on medical devices and diagnostics, biomedical equipment installation, maintenance, safety as well as the proper use of the biomedical equipment.
Activity:
2.1 Prepare training materials on installation or use of biomedical equipment identified from the assessment based on the country context.
2.2 Organize hands-on training for the biomedical technicians/engineers in preventive and curative maintenance of medical equipment in different regional and national hospitals in the country
2.3 Managing and testing including field testing of clinical equipment and medical devices in hospitals and health facilities.

For specialist

Deliverables:
1. With support from WHO HQ, develop and adapt training modules on oxygen scale up and safety for country roll out for member state support.
Activity:
1.1 Critically review the existing tools and guidance, including training materials on oxygen scale up and safety to identify the approach for comprehensive training package for oxygen scale up and safety at hospital and national level.
1.2 Based on the existing technical resources available, develop training package with modular approach to oxygen capacity assessment, biomedical equipment available for oxygen scale up, installation, maintenance and safety and required capacity building activities for local biomed technicians.
1.3 Identify gaps in the existing technical resources and develop training materials to address those gaps.
Deliverable:
2. Conduct assessment of biomedical equipment and oxygen capacity and safety in the hospitals and health to determine the availability, functionality and utilization of the equipment using WHO existing tools
Activity:
2.1 Conduct biomedical equipment and oxygen capacity assessment at national and regional level hospitals in the country and produce recommendation the functionality, maintenance and need for replacement status of the equipment and oxygen supply scale up.
2.2 Provide technical support and Install, adjust, maintain biomedical equipment in different national, state and regional hospitals.
2.3 Troubleshoot problems arising in the installation and commissioning of medical equipment.
2.4 Develop specifications for equipment to be procured and provide support for purchases of medical equipment and supplies as appropriate.
2.5 Conduct review of common procurement/ maintenance management practices to identify good practices and new innovative strategies for access to, essential diagnostics and medical devices.
Deliverable:
3. Provide technical support for national capacity development, training on medical devices and diagnostics, biomedical equipment installation, maintenance as well as the proper use of the biomedical equipment.
Activity:
3.1 Prepare training materials on installation or use of biomedical equipment identified from the assessment based on the country context.
3.2 Organize hands-on training for the biomedical technicians/engineers in preventive and curative maintenance of medical equipment in different regional and national hospitals in the country
3.3 Managing and testing including field testing of clinical equipment and medical devices in hospitals and health facilities.

4. Recruitment Profile

Functional Knowledge and Skills

Essential:
• Excellent skills in technical analysis, installation and maintenance of various types of medical equipment
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner and give technical advice and guidance taking into consideration the views of multiple stakeholders and partners in resource-limited contexts
• Proven ability to promote consensus, communicate progress and results, and resolve issues in a proactive manner, while ensuring effective work practices and ethics.

Desirable:
• Good computer skills in Microsoft Office applications.

Education Qualifications

Essential: University degree (Bachelor and/or Master´s degree) in Bio-Medical Engineering or in other fields of Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.

Experience

Essential:
5-7 years of professional experience in preparation and/or oversight of medical equipment condition assessment and specifications for hospitals including installation, commissioning large scale maintenance networks of biomedical and hospital equipment (patient ventilators, monitors, oxygen concentrators, central oxygen supply setups, etc.).
Desirable:

- At least 2 years of working experience in a developing country setting.

- Experience of training design and development.
- Work experience in WHO, other UN or another international public health organization
- Experience in WHO European Region

Languages

Essential: advanced knoweldge of English
Desirable: advanced knowledge of Russian

5. Contract duration

October 2021 to March 2022

6. Location

Home based with country missions as necessary.

7. Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded)

Band B (USD 350 - USD 499 per day)

8. Work schedule / Duration of contract

Full time

9. Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.