This marks the beginning of another surgical mission, this time to Lilongwe, Malawi. Malawi is a small country in southern Africa, with an estimated population of 16.5 million. The two national languages are Chichewa and English. Approximately 80% of the population lives in rural areas, 53% live below the poverty line and 11% of the adult population is living with HIV/AIDS. The current life expectancy is 52 years. As of 2013 there are only 37 registered surgeons working in the country. Lilongwe is the centrally located capital city with a population of 800,000.
During this trip, Operation Medical will be partnering with local organization, World Camp Inc, to provide surgical and emergency medical care. World Camp Inc is a nonprofit organization committed to educating children and adults about locally challenging issues. Operation Medical is an organization of volunteers made up of trained medical professionals and other individuals committed to promoting and providing high quality medical care and education to communities that do not have adequate access to medical care.
This mission will occur at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH). KCH is a government run hospital and is the tertiary referral center for the central region of Malawi, serving approximately 5 million people. The hospital's size ranges from 600-1000 beds, with actually occupancy far surpassing bed occupancy. The hospital has 5 floors, 4 operating theaters, 1 ICU with 4 beds, and a radiology department with plain films and ultrasound. The only pathologist is located 200 miles away in Blantyre requiring 3 months to obtain pathology reports! Currently there are 3 general surgeons at KCH
During this mission we will be providing general, plastic, and ENT surgery, alongside of emergency medical care. The group will consist of 16 people with varying backgrounds. So far 20+ surgeries are booked with another 50+ awaiting the screening process, so it is shaping up to be a busy week.
As always thanks for reading this blog, and for your thoughts and prayers along the way.
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