Hi, I am a doctor who was working in London, but Ive decided to take the year out and go to Malawi! So Ive been volunteering here for 2 months already and oh how the time has flown! So I am in the main city in the south of the country called Blantyre, because it is a city conditions arent too bad but we still have electricity and water shortages on a regular basis- its amazing how much actually needs electricity to run things are often taken for granted till u realize u cant use it!
I have been working in the main hospital here which is also a teaching hospital, the only medical school in the country is located here in Blantyre and so the hospital is full of medical, clinical officer and nursing students. I am an obstetrician and having working on the wards and especially labour ward or the delivery suite. Maternal mortality and morbidity in Malawi is a big concern and one of the things thats can be done to reduce this is teach the students, the interns ( newly qualified doctors) and midwives basic and emergency obstetric skills so when an emergency occurs people know what to do and this prevents then getting worse or even dying. So this is what I have been doing in addition to seeing patients I have been teaching in more formal talks but also on the job. Most of the work here is done by doctors who have only just graduated and they are just left to it with very little supervision a little like the old system in the UK of see one, do one, teach one!
I have been teaching them how to do a c- section and also supervising then and teaching them how to assess patients properly so that they get the right treatment. A large number of babies also die here and I have also been teaching neonatal resuscitation skills and this seems to be helping. There is so much that needs improving and changing here it is difficult to know where to begin but actually teaching is one of the easiest and most effective things that can be done to influence change J
Keep tuned for more updates and will also have some pictures soon!
