My name is Barbara Pawulska, I am a pharmacist from the UK.
I have a varied background, having worked in hospital and community pharmacy, a short time in industry and most recently, several years in health service management, focusing on controlling medicines expenditure through advocating good quality prescribing.
I spent several years in my youth travelling and working in South America, teaching English to businessmen and translating/ interpreting. I have enjoyed travel since then – getting to know other cultures and ways of life is endlessly fascinating.
I have been hoping to work for MSF for a very long time, but I had to wait until my two daughters grew up and left home before I could do it. In 2014-15 I completed my first nine month mission in the Central African Republic, and after a three month rest, I have embarked on a second stint, this time in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, where I arrived July 2015.
This mission currently has two projects, Kimbi and Baraka, both fairly large hospitals and outlying health centres. There is also an Emergency Response Unit, which deals with vaccination campaigns, cholera outbreaks and most recently, with refugees fleeing political unrest in neighbouring Burundi. All this is coordinated by a team in the capital of the province, Bukavu.
My role is Flying Pharmacist – not as glamorous as it sounds – it just means I am not attached to a particular project, and travel between projects to provide advice and support where it is needed.
