In one of the Worlds Hostile Environments
As a senior health manager and Emergency clinician, I have more than 7 years of experience in working in an effective International and local organizations in unstable, sensitive and volatile security regions in Somalia and governmental health institutions in different sectors.
My experiences beyond the system, and the days and nights in emergency volunteer scenarios. I am passionate about helping people and making difference in the lives of the vulnerable people in terms of health fitness and well being
The best way to become an effective leader is to disregard it as a goal and instead focus on a learning journey that combines formal experiences in a workplace with selective experiences of your own making.
I recall in my early years that volunteering in different environments enabled me to test my capacity in unfamiliar circumstances with people from all walks of life. In many ways, this was far more enriching than my eight other jobs that provided me in professional manner.
I began to learn the importance of exposure and reflection as a way to live a big life. Each time I exposed myself to a new situation, I knew I had learnt something valuable and I reflected on my response to it. In return it kept redefining who I was and what I was capable of. I began to realize and continue to believe that we can all be borderless in our mindset if we keep testing our own capacity in different circumstances. It is my way of life.
Country Health profile view Health and demographic data in Somaliland is largely lacking, however according to the UN, the country has some of the worst health and nutritional indicators in the world and is unlikely to reach the health related MDGs with women, girls and the poorest groups having been most affected in this context. Women’s, adolescent girls’ and children’s health and access to health care are disproportionately affected, with particular risks to sexual and gender based violence. UNDP’s 2000 Human Development Report ranked Somalia lowest globally, in all health indicators except life expectancy.
Building a career with non supporting environment is allah swt (God’s Gift).
As junior medical Doctor, started work in Hargeisa Group Teaching Hospital.somalilands largest and Referral Hospital.
Six to seven years with different areas and different experiences with different responsibilities as duties of medical doctor completed national service intern at Sahil region, was my first professional experience started, national medical internship coordinator on THET/MOH. Was I holding one of the challenging national work positions with duties on ….. where I attended more than twenty above capacity building on clinical classes, clinical leadership and professionalism, clinical audit, monitoring and evaluation and research, followed with country traveling, position based partly in ministry of health and partly nationals largest teaching and referralhospital, one of my accomplishments we have successfully done more than threeclinical audit on two major hospitals clinical audit.
Volunteering in Hargeisa group hospitaltwo days in a week as a clinical and ultrasonography work in Hargeisa group hospital outpatient department was an experience to remember.
Great accomplishments and in service trainings attended.
Participated first Somaliland Human resource manual implementation followed with Job descriptions and Regulatory workshops on National Health professional’s commission.
Became a member of the first Drug steering committee with WHO and MOH.
Attended east Africans health systems strengthening program by JICA and Unicef in Nyanza province, in 2011.
Attended Blood bank training curriculum in Kampala Uganda in October 2011 with multicultural teams.
In January 2012 Traveledto south central Somalia and joined Islamic reliefs supported health facilities in Mudug Region,
MUDUG region joined GALDOGOG General hospital with the support of Islamic relief, an area of neglected health care, with clan conflicts and chronic clan enmities were common, I have been welcomed with Dr Abdurrahman senior Egyptian gynecologist in a small town near the Ethiopian border where a taboo, myth and modern stereotype is common with radical mullahs.
In 100 beds hospital I have been chosen as medical team leader on my second week of work.
Here was one of my life experience we were 70km east west to GALKACAYO were the city is divided to two self-declared independent states, and dispute and daily violence was common,
Here was one of Somalia’s volatile and insecurity region with neighbors on the south another states Galguuud with same scenario, there was an existing clan fights and theSiadBarre government. All of this mentioned abovefactors restricted patients movements, Galdogob is Puntland ,but Measles outbreak was common among children because immunization was regarded as taboo with no good health education communication, proper national health systems. We had four service level hospital with mobile clinic and medical missions from Kenya, mainly eye care, ENT and I coordinated my time and worked three good missions.
MudugHospital in Goldogop was voted world’s best medical technologies by Goldogob Diaspora teams, these medical equipments were included ColorDopler ultrasonography which I worked in OPD and installed there.
What I will not forget in this area was illiteracy and lack of health education impacts on health systems and daily population consequences.
Yearly measles outbreak with no intervention will be on my mind because taboo and myth is stronger than the modern medicine and public health intervention measures. We sometimes have twenty to thirty cases in a week with new measles cases.
After five months there equals I joined Medicines sans frontiers Belguim in Somaliland project
As Deputy Burao Hospital project manager (Medical referent deputy), were I opened my humanitarian work experience, here was one of my best ever school and academy for humanitarian and aid worker, Working in one hundred and sixty Beds hospital with around four hundred staff, including international multicultural expats, was an area that will never be out of my mind, where I learned every morning we safely wake up. Also learned MSF international guidelines and charters although working in MSF was my childhood dream, learning and working with clinical standard guidelines is an important goal standard everywhere in the world.
It was great chance that adapt easily and worked professionally were I have been chosen to attend Sanou MSF training( In hargeisa Dec 2012)were I was both participant and facilitator, starting from that day untill now MSF is on my mind were every human being can contribute his knowledge, skill and time.
Security trainings, medical trainings and delegating allot of tasks with flexibility is my passion.
One of main duties was staff health, clinical practice, and partly on leadership roles, followed with Burao Prison Detention project physician two days a week.
My emergency team colleagues MSF Burao Hospital
Working closely to medical teams, such as infection control, health promotion teams and my medical work force nurses auxiliaries and medical doctors were my daily tasks.
Indirectly working with logs, med admin and security
Organizing meetings, on hospital management teams with ministry of health, attending immunization sessions, pharmacy team assisting and coordinating regional health to our project was my favorite act to remember. Focal point for Buhoodle —-project, which was mobile trained referral teams transferring emergency patients from buhodle isolated area from Togdheer region due to clan dispute.
One of my good emergency preparedness team supervision and assisting, In MSF where I learned to love what we are doing every day is sacrifice as both humanitarian aid worker and as beneficiaries.
Were you will never ever say I am tired because of inspiration and motivation, were have international guidelines of disciplinary, coming back to the hospital at night with supporting mass casualty incident scenarios was moments that will never leave my mind, staff trained with Triage and SATS score.
Attending field associative debates, Management of Health services course in Nairobi with practically learned what we do every day in the project.
MHS is I got most my working experience knowledge so far.
Team work, motivation inspiration and willing to do more than you can was the theme in MSF Burao, my motivators that I have much respect during my days in the field and until now.
Leading In a project when internationally expats left the country in one of the largest MSF project was and delegating as acting was another experience for my life to remember,
Sudden project closure after almost forty days we senior nationals working in the ground on the field followed with two months and have official standard project closure with the support of colleagues are memories.
What I learned and accomplished
I have done Togdheer Health facility assessment,
Gained experience on Assessments, Introduction to Human resource management, Hr cycle, Pharmacy management, Hygiene and Infection Control, Health services management, Health care strategies, Medical anthropology, Medical emergency, Data management, Masscausality.
And medical courses by Management of Health Systems.(MHS).
MSF MHS Training In Nairobi July 2013
.
Joining Ministry of health national as senior manager
Director of Human resource and Development(previously Director of Human resource and medical services)
On Dec 2013 nominated as this above position which is a national position
That is controlling more than two thousand and five hundred employee, followed with five institutes of health sciences,
As policy maker and sensitive political position with huge challenges was another experience in my life in a post conflict country were the unemployment rate is more than 75% during my days in office accomplishments with the huge obstacles was remarkable, working as a vice minister and Director general followed with departmental directors that all of them does not have immunity to stay at office.
Great accomplishments include nation’s first nationwide Health workforce survey Human resource mapping, worked Lancet Global surgery and anesthesia commissioner for Universal safe surgery and anesthesia with Edna Aden Hospital team.
Had a chance to supervise more than hundred health facilities in Somaliland regions.
Implemented first clinical officers program in the country.
Attended international health conferences and linked ministry some international contacts around the globe.
Service Trainings attended Project management skills.
Attended leadership and professionalism course by Kings College and Thet Partnership.
And Advanced Health systems management course on Imperial College, with WHO collaborating center in Nairobi. Attended east African health systems management in Dar el salaam followed with Iffakara Tanzania with supervision on clinical officers training course.
Part time assisting
Advanced Health systems Management course in Nairobi with Dr From Imperial college London
- Honor and professional associations
- Member of Global unification international since 2009, and volunteer worked as GUI public health advisor Somaliland and Somalia.
- Founder of Gui somaliland
- Board member Somaliland medical association.
- Member in Somaliland mental health association.
Photos in different areas in different environments from somalilan/Somalia/ Kenya Uganda.
Burao Hospital project award October 2013
- Volunteer projects worked
- Sahan mental health center physician 2009 to 2010
- Burao medical school lecturer 2012 to 2013
- Health facility assessments
- Health Articles published.
- Health worker Absenteeism.
- My emergency experience in 2014.
- Health facility in efficiency.
- Hospital improvement.
- Utilization of family planning in Togdheer region.
- Be faithful and never give up.
- Training assessment needs in Somaliland health sector.
- Experinces gained
- People management on clinical leadership best approaches is
- Transparency
- Honesty
- over communication
- Continuous professional development and in-service trainings courses are important on what task you are doing.
- Being Humble, Flexibleand flexibility will facilitate you some daily obstacles and challenges.
Working with passion having sense of humor and integrity will make you be happy and made you happy to do a lot of different task.
- Learning from co workers
- Team work and unity is vital pillars on institution.
- Working with multicultural teams is a learning environment.
- Being Humanitarian worker is important task.
- Treating all people equally is another good experience I gained as clinician and clinical leadership.
- There is a school of thought that you should “do what you love” and “follow your passion”. Others argue this advice is wrong. That you need to find a way to add value and make a difference and solve a problem.
Dr Ricky Embuido senior MD from Philippines, DrMarliesdegroorte medical doctor with humanitarian experience, Paul Lupodo Kenyan known Somali project coordinator taught me security updating and team work, Mario Stephan Gulf msfocb coordinator, Philip Lindaur German physician, Jorge GellisHexvaira Cuban colleague ,DrAbdikkaniHasansomalilander gynecologist, who we worked together in another hospital Before MSF,Abdifatah Rashid Liason officer, DrFarhanmedco, Jamal Infection control,Dr.Reinaldoguitarezmedco,Dr Carmen sofiacarrilo, papa floripen senior msf staff, Rey anicente,Michael parker. Vannesa Cardoso monteirosanoulecturer.Mellymenanios Carmelita nurse from Philippines, Drmarlonrivera gynecologist from Elsalvador.
Thanks To Global Unification International Team that supports my whole life for the last five years.
Jason Sear, Mark W smith, Peter Reed, Drjean fuallimen.
Thank you all Friends from home &abroad, Doctors, international humanitarians, relatives, father and Mother for supporting me during those working days. Sent me best wishes and kept me in their prayers.
