Médecins Sans Frontières - Portrait of staff - Ndiah Alkouma

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF219573

Date taken / Date Recorded 23/12/2017 12:00 AM

Country Unspecified Country

Commissioning section MSF-SWITZERLAND

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 3m21s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 477.44 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Are you MSF?

This is the second time I've worked with MSF.
I worked as national staff for 4 years in Chad, in the Koumra region.

NDIAH ALKOUMA
Gynaecologist Obstetrician

What was the situation in Chad?

The region of Bol is an area that has been abandoned, and due to the arrival of Boko Haram lots of organisations and the State were interested in the Bol region.
The population really welcomes MSF’s intervention, particularly the free care for people who aren’t used to going to hospital for treatment.

What is your role as a gynaecologist?

In the morning, we have a staff meeting with the night duty team, which consists of presenting the cases that the team has received in the last 24 hours and discussing them.
Then we do the rounds, interventions or training. There are also emergencies for which you might be woken up at night.

I manage the transfer of skills for national staff, especially the midwives and doctors. Sometimes, training takes places at the patient’s bedside, to review certain procedures.

What motivates you about this job?

When a patient arrives on the verge of death and you manage to get them back on their feet, that’s the motivation!

What have you gained from this experience?

In my career, MSF has not only given me training as a gynaecologist, but also training in people management. You work with a group of people who you must manage.

Why MSF?

You don’t think of yourself; you give of yourself. You think of others, as if they were one of your own, and you look after them.
With MSF, you have the necessary equipment and drugs, which makes it really attractive to work with MSF.
During a birth or a Caesarean, there's a whole team working; it isn’t just one person.

What qualities must you have to work with MSF?

Patience and humility; you must be humble. And MSF also demands a great deal of dedication.

Portrait of staff - Ndiah Alkouma - Gynaecologist (ENG)

Portrait of staff - Ndiah Alkouma - Gynaecologist (ENG)