New Projects
May 1, 2004 by Vicky
1. Medical Laboratory
The Maternity unit, constructed last year with the help of DFID, and which provides ante- and post-natal care as well as delivery facilities, is currently being connected to the existing buildings by a brick-built corridor. Incorporated into the construction work is the Laboratory area. This will give much improvement to the levels of early diagnosis, especially in cases of Malaria, Bilharzia, HIV and other STD’s. Building is well under way and will be completed in the very near future.
Equipping the Laboratory will be a major task, but we have already been promised a Microscope by the Rag Committee of University College London. Other essential equipment includes:
Blood bank; Glucometer; Centrifuge machine; Haemoglobinometer; Science lab clock; Bunsen burners; ind-lab thermometer; various kinds of pipette; test tubes; autoclave test-tube racks; Rotater; various types of test kits; blood bags.
2. Visits
Increasingly people are seeking to spend some time at St. Andrew’s. All pay their own fares and living costs. One girl has just travelled to Mtunthama to work for three months in the school and clinic; a group of 11 young people will be going for a fortnight in July, using their skills in the fields of teaching, general administration and ICT, and building maintenance work; a Maths teacher will be there for about a month in late July/August, and yet another group, including a trainee paediatric nurse, will be visiting for five or six weeks in August/September.
3. Operating Theatre
Application has been made to a large company working in the Mtunthama region, many of whose employees use the St. Andrew’s facilities, for assistance in the building of an Operating Theatre. The company has so far made encouraging noises, and we await what we hope will be confirmation that work can begin on this important development.
4. Letter from Malawi
We have received a letter from Peter Minjale, Clinical Officer at St. Andrew’s Clinic. Peter’s fiancée, Jacqueline Mose, is a nurse at St. Andrew’s Clinic. They hope to be married this year. Click here to read the letter.
Newsletter: September 2003
September 1, 2003 by Vicky
Recent developments have been particularly exciting. During July and August two groups, each of about twelve Medic Malawi supporters, visited the Clinic to see for themselves just what has been achieved. The first group were able to attend the official hand-over of the new units donated by the Department for International Development. This ceremony took place on 10 July, when the British High Commissioner for Malawi, Mr. Norman Ling, handed over the keys to the new buildings. The units have since been modified to provide a superb Maternity Unit incorporating ante-natal care, Health Education, post-natal ward and a magnificent Delivery Room which can cater for up to three deliveries at any one time. This new facility releases space in the original building, so that we now have a laundry/store room equipped with washing machines, and a room specifically for an Ultra-sound scanner donated by the North Devon Hospital Trust. Two days after this ceremony the buildings were consecrated by Rt Rev. Peter Nyanja, Bishop of Lake Malawi.
The bore-hole for the provision of reliable and pure water has been drilled after some problems in locating a suitable site. Eventually permission was obtained from the Senior Chief to drill on land not belonging to the Clinic, and the bore-hole was sunk successfully. By the time this newsletter is published the necessary equipment should be in place, and the water will be supplying all the Clinic’s requirements.
The supply of electricity has always been unreliable, and earlier this year the grid, as well as being frequently intermittent, shut down virtually every evening for several hours. Consequently, and in view of the ever-increasing number of patients being admitted as well as the growing requirements of the Maternity Unit, it was decided to buy and install a diesel generator powerful enough to meet all anticipated demands for electricity for the foreseeable future. The generator will switch on automatically in the event of a power failure.
We have needed an ambulance for some time, not the conventional UK ambulance, but a four-wheel drive vehicle which can negotiate the difficult terrain even during the rainy season. Thanks to the efforts of the Devonport Apollo Choir in Plymouth we now have a suitable 4×4.
New accommodation has been built for the increased number of staff. We are fortunate in having a Peace Corps volunteer who will divide her time between St. Andrew’s and the nearby government clinic, another example of how closely we are able to work with the local health services to enhance the quality of health care in the area. The staffing levels have gone up, and we now have two Clinical Officers and five nurse/midwives as well as ancillary staff and administration.
St. Andrew’s is making an enormous difference to people’s lives; the picture below gives an indication of just how busy the Outpatient Dept. is – and this in the “healthiest” time of the year!
The “100 Club” has still not reached 100 members, but with tax relief the amount contributed by the “100 Club” enables us to pay almost all the balance of salaries remaining after the CHAM (Christian Health Association of Malawi) subsidy.
Finally, our thanks to all who do so much to help this needy area of Africa.
May God bless you all.
Dot and Mac Forsyth
Newsletter: June 2003
June 1, 2003 by Vicky
It is with great sadness that we have to report the death in March of Emmanuel, the seven year old son of Frank and Eunice Dzantenge whom many of you will know. Apparently Emmanuel was playing with his friends when he jumped into some water on a building site near his school and was drowned. Frank and Eunice have coped remarkably well, strengthened by their faith and by the many messages of support they have received.
There has been great progress at St.Andrew’s Hospital, Mtunthama since our last Newsletter in October 2002. As a result of the grant from DFID the new Maternity Unit is now open and the first babies have been born there.
The Operating Theatre, part of the same grant-funded development is now complete and awaiting equipment. The original Guardian Shelter has been extended in order to provide additional space and facilities the Under-5 nutrition programme which goes from strength to strength. Action Against Hunger visits the programme each week for staff training and also assists with food supplies, and other food donors are the Anglican Dioceses of Lake Malawi and the Norwegian Government through the good offices of CHAM (Christian Health Association of Malawi). Unfortunately Eleanor Bardsley, the English volunteer nurse who has done so much to establish and develop the Under-5 programme will be leaving at the end of June; she will be sorely missed. The bore-hole has been drilled, the holding tanks have been purchased, and we now await the delivery and installation of the pump. The entrance canopy to provide additional protection during the rainy season has been completed.
In the Mtunthama region this year’s crop has been better than last year’s, and so the adult feeding programme ended in April; unfortunately the better harvest is not mirrored throughout the country.
Plans for the future
In order to equip the Operating Theatre and to complete the equipping of the Maternity Unit an application has been made for financial support to USPG in London. If this does not bear fruit then we shall have to seek funding elsewhere.
Up to ten more medical staff will be needed as the new facilities come into full operation, and of course that means we shall have to set about the building of more staff accommodation. Again we are now seeking funding for this.
The electricity supply in Malawi is erratic at best, and with the new units it is essential that we now look to install a diesel generator to provide power during electricity cuts. Costs have not yet been ascertained, but they will be significant!
Thanks to the efforts of the Devonport Apollo Choir in Plymouth, who have supported us through several concerts, we are now in a position to buy a second-hand four-wheel drive vehicle as an ambulance. This will be available at the end of June.
Two groups of supporters will be travelling to Mtunthama in July to see for themselves what has been happening and to work at the Hospital and school.
As ever, we thank you for your continuing support.
May God bless you all.
Dot and Mac Forsyth