We would like to share with you recent updates from our Department.
Above is a video link to a Wonca Africa webinar on Covid-19 response in Malawi that took place on 24th July 2020. Our registrars Dr. Patrick Chisepo, Dr. Modai Mnenula and Faculty member Dr. Bente van der Meijden gave their presentations during the webinar, and it was hosted by Prof Moosa of University of Witwatersrand.
Picture above: Dr John Parks (fourth from right) with colleagues from the College

The Department of Family Medicine bid farewell, to Dr John Parks. Dr Parks has been with the department since 2015 and was appointed Head of Department in 2017. We attribute a major part of the growth of our Department and the field of Family Medicine in Malawi to his leadership and contribution. He will be missed but he will forever remain part of the Family Medicine family. 

More details of the transition of leadership within the Department will be shared in our subsequent newsletter edition.
Left:  Dr Bente van der Meijden one of our Faculty members and  a Representative of Mangochi District Hospital staff with some of the COVID-19, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Right: Part of the PPE that was received.

We received a generous financial support from a donor who would like to remain anonymous that assisted us to purchase equipment for treatment and personal preventive equipment to assist us in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic at Mangochi District Hospital.

This financial support has been used to purchase 14 oxygen concentrators, gloves, masks, faceshields, gumboots, pulse oxymeters, bp cuffs, stethoscopes, hand sanitizers, soap, buckets and alot more equipment. These equipments and materials will be used to support the frontline health workers who continue to do noble work during this Covid-19 pandemic.

In conclusion we would like to celebrate our registrars and faculty staff who are part of, and support, the front-line staff at the hospital. They were there before this pandemic, are continuing during this season, and will continue to be present in partnership into the future. We are grateful and appreciate the work that you are doing.

Pictured above: Dr Nitta Chinyama (standing) having a conversation with health worker at a Health Center during one of her COPC visits.
Our department is very passionate about improving the quality of primary health care. One of our approaches that assists us to achieve this is Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC). We ensure that each of our registrars adopts a health center. Once our registrar develops a relationship with the health center they assist the health center through providing guidance and facilitating processes aimed at improving the quality of care given.