Investing in Leadership, Management and Teamwork in post-Ebola Sierra Leone hospitals
From 14 – 18 September 2015, KIT advisors Ankie van den Broek and Christel Jansen facilitated the first week of a two-week training program on leadership, management and teamwork for 2 hospitals in Sierra Leone.
Masanga Hospital in Sierra Leone
In August 2014, the Masanga Hospital in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone had to inform the Ministry of Health and Sanitation that as a consequence of the lack of facilities essential for safe management of Ebola cases, clinical services had to be suspended in the interest of patients and staff and to eliminate the risk of Masanga becoming a spot for the spreading of the infection.
While closed for clinical activity, Masanga managed to upgrade their infrastructure. Fences were put in place for physical separation and control of people movement over the hospital grounds, personal protective equipment were obtained and a full screening and triage unit was erected in front of the hospital. All for the safe management of Ebola cases. In May, the hospital reopened and returned to full pre-Ebola clinical services. On Friday the 14th of August, 131 persons, all staff and patients of the Masanga Hospital in Sierra Leone were released from their quarantine, after a patient died from Ebola in their hospital on July 23. The precautions proved to be effective, as no transmission of the virus had taken place.
High time for a (young) professional development programme!
The management team of Masanga Hospital is led by a Dutch expat medical officer. The management team comprises of professionals with limited experience, as for most this is the first position after graduating from university.
After months of turmoil, and with the 2026 goal of incorporation of Masanga Hospital in the national governmental health system in mind, Masanga Hospital decided to organize a training on leadership, management and teamwork for its management team and the heads of wards. The training was developed by KIT and Masanga Hospital, for the management of both the Masanga hospital and the close-by Maburuga government district hospital. Financial support was provided by the NUFFIC NFP-Trailor Made Training programme.
Tailor-made-training on leadership, management and teamwork
From 14 – 18 September 2015, KIT advisors Ankie van den Broek and Christel Jansen facilitated the first week of the training. The training focused on technical skills in strategic planning and operationalization, as well as on “soft skills” related to e.g. leadership, self-reflection, teamwork, time management, communication and feedback.
In the coming weeks, the trainees are putting their learning into practice through individual and group assignments. From 16-20 November, the second and advanced part of the training will focus on change management, human resources management, and stakeholder management skills.
