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Sophies Minde Hospital has since 2004 had an exchange programme with Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. At present, Marianne Abrahamsen is a FK participant in Malawi, working together with Patric Govati and Wilson Nanungu, who both have been exchanged to Sophies Minde Hosptal in Oslo.
Marianne says it has been an advantage that she has colleagues who have been to Oslo, because they have a common reference. The technology for developing prosthesis is the same in Norway and Malawi, it is only the materials that differs. The profession is also more specialized in Norway, says Patric, which has to do with the fact that there are only four practicing Orthopedics engineers in Malawi.
As a comparison, there are 20 engineers only at Sophies Minde Hospital. Patric adds the exchange has given the hospital in Blantyre new and better routines. Today the orthopedics visit patients on the country side once a week, and reaches out to groups that previously did not get any help.
Learned something new every day
Both Wilson and Patric talk very enthusiastically about their stay in Norway, and say they learned something new every day. Robster Nyrienda, responsible for projects at Queen Elisabeth Hospital, confirms that the exchange has strengthened and improved the routines at the hospital, and is a good motivation for the employed.
Former Norwegian participants Gunhild Aasen and Tone Øygard, worked hard to get material, establish patient journals and run the training in data for the personnel at the hospital. The Red Cross donated material that the orthopedics engineers need to make prosthesis. Here they use polypropylene, since this is less expensive and a solid material, and the Norwegian participants begin their stay in Africa with a two weeks course in Ethiopia to learn the local prosthesis technology that make use of only this material.
Recently two persons from Malawi returned from Tanzania, where they have taken an education in orthopedics that does not exist in Malawi. One of the participants are going to be exchanged to Norway in 2007, the other will be a valuable member of the staff at Blantyre Hospital. The needs are enormous. Infections in wounds could result in a fracture leading to amputation.
The biggest challenge for the orthopedic department at Queen Elisabeth Hospital is still patients with Polio who need braces. Polio is a virus that can paralyze parts of the body. This problem will decrease since everybody today get the vaccination against Polio.
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