Medical Doctor Opportunity with Touch Health’s SimuConsult Program in Tanzania

Background

Touch Health, a nonprofit organization founded in 2004, is dedicated to strengthening healthcare systems in sub-Saharan Africa by breaking down barriers to care through innovative health sector programming. Incubated at McKinsey & Company, Touch leverages management consulting expertise to design and implement sustainable health programs, prioritizing government ownership. The organization focuses on three main pillars: healthcare workforce planning and optimization, improving access to care for women and children, and health systems strengthening initiatives. Touch’s successful initiatives in Tanzania have led to program expansion across multiple sub-Saharan African countries and partnerships with large institutions and funding partners to drive broad, sustained health sector impact.

Overview of the SimuConsult Program

Access to timely medical consultation remains a significant barrier to health equity in Tanzania, particularly in rural and underserved communities where health facilities are distant, transportation is costly, and staffing shortages limit the availability of qualified clinicians. Many patients delay seeking care, resulting in late diagnoses, untreated conditions, and preventable complications. The shortage of medical doctors in rural areas further exacerbates this issue, as patients often rely on health workers with limited training or forego medical advice entirely.

To address this gap, Touch Health developed SimuConsult, an innovative teleconsultation service that leverages community health workers (CHWs) and mobile communication to deliver medical expertise directly to patients’ homes. SimuConsult enables CHWs to connect patients in rural communities with doctors based at partner hospitals, ensuring accurate diagnoses, timely prescriptions, and proper guidance without immediate facility visits. Currently operational in partnership with faith-based and private health facilities, SimuConsult has successfully demonstrated its ability to expand access to qualified medical care over the past year, with high patient satisfaction and improved efficiency in connecting communities to appropriate care.

The next phase of SimuConsult will focus on strengthening services, expanding partnerships with government and private facilities, and exploring sustainable financing approaches to ensure continuity. A robust Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework underpins all activities, enabling Touch and its partners to track service utilization, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency to inform program adjustments and advocate for larger-scale adoption.

Position Summary

Touch Health, an international NGO working to build the health systems of the future in sub-Saharan Africa, is seeking an outstanding Medical Doctor to join its team in supporting the SimuConsult Program in Tanzania (region to be confirmed, either Lake-Zone or Pwani Region). This full-time role, a 6-month assignment (renewable), offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth and refinement of an innovative telemedicine solution while supporting day-to-day service delivery. The Medical Doctor will be based at a partner hospital, working closely with facility staff, CHWs, and Touch’s program team to deliver high-quality consultations, oversee clinical quality, and provide input to strengthen and scale the SimuConsult model across Tanzania. The role involves delivering virtual consultations through the SimuConsult ICT Platform, a community-based digital health service connecting patients to qualified doctors via CHWs conducting door-to-door visits and screenings. The Medical Doctor will report to the Project Manager at Touch and collaborate with the hospital’s management and administration team, as well as CHWs. A portion of the role may involve supporting routine medical duties at the host hospital, as agreed with hospital management and dependent on telehealth volumes.

Responsibilities and Duties

Clinical Service Delivery (SimuConsult – Primary Duty)

• Provide remote consultations via phone to community members visited by CHWs during door-to-door visits or community-held meetings.
• Review patient information shared by CHWs, make clinical decisions, and issue appropriate prescriptions or medical advice.
• Guide CHWs in collecting patient history, vitals, and other essential information.
• Document all consultations accurately in the SimuConsult process and regularly report key performance indicators (KPIs) to the program team (Project Manager/Field Officers), ensuring data is shared in a clear and timely format to support ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and program improvement.
• Refer patients to hospital/health facilities for further management when needed.
• Ensure quality of care aligns with national clinical guidelines and hospital standards.

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting

• Regularly track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) for SimuConsult service delivery.
• Submit timely reports to the Program Manager and Field Officers in clear, standardized formats.
• Participate in regular review meetings and contribute to program learning.
• Support data-driven decision-making by providing insights on trends, challenges, and areas for improvement.

Coordination and Support

• Liaise with CHWs daily to confirm readiness, availability, and service schedules.
• Coordinate with the hospital for medication reconciliation and dispensing linked to SimuConsult patients.
• Support payment reconciliation processes linked to consultations.
• Participate in routine program meetings and reporting with Touch and hospital management.

Feedback, Learning, and Scale-Up

• Provide regular feedback on the SimuConsult service to Touch and hospital management.
• Share insights on challenges, patient experience, and system efficiency to support continuous improvement.
• Contribute ideas and input for service scale-up and expansion, ensuring the model is practical, efficient, and patient-centered.

Hospital Support Duties (As Needed)

• Provide clinical support within the hospital during non-SimuConsult hours, as agreed with hospital management.
• Contribute to hospital service delivery when SimuConsult workload allows.

Note: As job vacancy announcements cannot be exhaustive, the Medical Doctor may be required to undertake other duties broadly in line with the above key duties.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Education, Skills, and Experience

• Medical degree (MD/MBBS or equivalent) with full registration and license to practice in Tanzania.
• Minimum 2-3 years of clinical experience, preferably in general practice or community health.
• Previous experience in telemedicine, digital health, or community-based healthcare is an added advantage.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work with CHWs and diverse patient populations.
• Commitment to ethical medical practice and patient confidentiality.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Good judgment and discretion to represent Touch Health in a highly professional manner, as well as respect for local culture.

• Please submit a Cover Letter and Resume outlining your interest in the position to: [email protected].



• Include “Medical Doctor-SimuConsult” in the subject line of your emailed application.
• The deadline for the job application is October 31, 2025.