The Rumaila medical team has successfully transitioned to become 100% staffed by qualified and certified Iraqi medical health practitioners.
Rumaila has five healthcare facilities across the field at North Rumaila, the Rumaila Supply Base, Headquarters, South Rumaila and Qarmat Ali. In 2010, when ROO first began operating, there was only a small team of three expats. By 2013, the team had expanded to 20 – with 10 expats and 10 supporting Iraqi medical professionals; today, the team now has a total of 10 Iraqi medical professionals supported by two expats.
The Nationalization Plan was rolled out in early 2012, with the stated five-year goal to: “progressively nationalize the ROO Medical Team to a point where it is staffed, operated and managed by an Iraqi workforce.” This plan detailed a succession schedule for the health team by 2017, as well as the training needs required for Iraqi nationals – to reach a level suitable to manage the medical facilities to internationally recognized medical standards.
Iraqi medical professionals have therefore undergone extensive training over the past five years. Alongside close mentoring on a day-to day basis with the expat medical, 11 Iraqi medical team members successfully completed training in South Africa between 2013-2015. Health Manager Wendy Parker explained: “Not only did our Iraqi colleagues gain international certificates; they ranked very highly in their respective classes in a medical programme which teaches practitioners from all over the world! We are all really proud of what they have achieved and the journey that they have experienced.
“Speaking personally, I’ve been here for six years and looking back I think we’ve achieved a tremendous amount. We’ve gone from having very limited primary care resource with no tangible medical emergency response to an international-class occupational health service incorporating medical emergency response, primary health care, fitness for work programmes and wellness programme, all aimed at helping personnel stay healthy. As I move on from Rumaila, I’ll miss the team; however, we have achieved our goal and it does feel the time is now right for me to move on.”
MediCorp validates its services
MediCorp today announced from its international headquarters in Dubai that it was awarded the ISO9001:2015 certificate in recognition of their conformity to the requirements of the International Organisation for Standardization.
The ISO 9000 family addresses various aspects of quality management. The standards provide guidance and tools for companies who want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet customer’s requirements, and that quality is consistently improved. This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement.
‘Although we have always approached our business and clients with the highest levels of professionalism, the validation that this independent audit brings only supports the team efforts put in by all of our employees to make MediCorp a world-class healthcare services organization’, says Gabi Muntean, CEO.
MediCorp has a distinguished history of providing medical services in Iraq for more than a decade. Providing full service medical care at various locations throughout the country, the company operates at the highest international standards – even in challenging and complex environments.
World-class training to keep hearts beating
Fourteen members from the ROO Medical Team have completed training to attain the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) qualification, set by the American Heart Association.
Members of the team can now perform emergency cardiac care at Rumaila, certified to a standard internationally recognized by medical practitioners the world over. As well as the ACLS certificate, the trainees also attained a certificate in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, as part of the training. The medical team includes doctors, medical technicians, emergency medical dispatchers and clinic managers.
The course means that everyone working at Rumaila now has access to the highest standard of care across every field clinic. In the event of a person having cardiac arrest, the medical team can now recognize and treat serious heart conditions.
The trainees studied for several months in advance of the three-day course, which was taught by registered Advanced Cardiac Instructor and ROO Medical Operations Lead Nick Dillon.
“The team saw over 1,000 patients in July and responded to 27 ambulance calls throughout the month, so the main challenge was finding time for studying whilst maintaining normal clinical duties,” said Nick.
“The training will now help our medical team to be able to identify and treat life-threatening cardiac issues with a professional approach to resuscitation, so that we can provide early treatment and prevent more serious outcomes. My congratulations go to each member of the team for their achievement.”
An Iraqi Medical Team
The Rumaila medical team has successfully transitioned to become 100% staffed by qualified and certified Iraqi medical health practitioners.
Rumaila has five healthcare facilities across the field at North Rumaila, the Rumaila Supply Base, Headquarters, South Rumaila and Qarmat Ali. In 2010, when ROO first began operating, there was only a small team of three expats. By 2013, the team had expanded to 20 – with 10 expats and 10 supporting Iraqi medical professionals; today, the team now has a total of 10 Iraqi medical professionals supported by two expats.
The Nationalization Plan was rolled out in early 2012, with the stated five-year goal to: “progressively nationalize the ROO Medical Team to a point where it is staffed, operated and managed by an Iraqi workforce.” This plan detailed a succession schedule for the health team by 2017, as well as the training needs required for Iraqi nationals – to reach a level suitable to manage the medical facilities to internationally recognized medical standards.
Iraqi medical professionals have therefore undergone extensive training over the past five years. Alongside close mentoring on a day-to day basis with the expat medical, 11 Iraqi medical team members successfully completed training in South Africa between 2013-2015. Health Manager Wendy Parker explained: “Not only did our Iraqi colleagues gain international certificates; they ranked very highly in their respective classes in a medical programme which teaches practitioners from all over the world! We are all really proud of what they have achieved and the journey that they have experienced.
“Speaking personally, I’ve been here for six years and looking back I think we’ve achieved a tremendous amount. We’ve gone from having very limited primary care resource with no tangible medical emergency response to an international-class occupational health service incorporating medical emergency response, primary health care, fitness for work programmes and wellness programme, all aimed at helping personnel stay healthy. As I move on from Rumaila, I’ll miss the team; however, we have achieved our goal and it does feel the time is now right for me to move on.”