Saturday 21 February 2009

New eye hospital in Zomba , Malawi facing severe eye health workers shortages




My specialist medical field is Ophthalmology or eye specialist as other people prefer it to be called .I am one of the few Ophthalmologist practising in Malawi.
We are lucky that we have had strong links with Lions Clubs International- thanks to the efforts of the oldest Malawian Ophthalmologist Professor Moses Chirambo who has being fighting blindness in Malawi since 1972. He is the person who attracted me to join ophthalmology We have as a result of his initiatives more eye hospitals than doctors in Malawi , currently we have three lions eye hospital in Malawi, one in Mzuzu, one in Lilongwe and one in Blantyre where I work. but this is not the end .The construction of the fourth Lions eye hospital in Zomba funded by Lions clubs of Norway has been going on very rapidly ,with the 50 bed hospital expected to be complete by as early as July 2009.But the major challenge is who will be working at the hospital and where will they come from? the Ophthalmologist incharge ,nurses and clinical officers .There is already currently very few eye workers in Malawi .As usual my name has come up to go to Zomba because we are a few of us in Blantyre ,and as you probably know I am tied up with finding blind children in the communities of Zomba in 2009.But I can not be in too many paces at once ,so we need to identify and send some junior doctors for training as eye specialist ,so that they can take over the leadership of eye hospital. There is also need for a lot of nurses and clinical officers and any well wishers who would like to spend sometime working in the eye department in Zomba will be welcome. Once the construction is completed the hospital will be handed over to the Ministry of Health

Are you interested in working in Zomba?

Email me!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is news!! Dr Kalua, I have incorporated it in our newsbulletin on MIJ FM Radio..hope there is no harm

Readhead said...

Bravo Dr. Kalua for your fine work. I'm familiar with the Lion's club clinic in Lilongwe. It is indeed tragic how few doctors per capita there are in your fine country.

Congratulations on your new hospital!

drjatinpatel said...

hello Dr.Khumbo Kalua,

congratulation on ur new hospital,
i am an ophthalmologist private practising in india.
u want an ophthalmologist 4 ur hospital.
send me detail about ur hospital facilities & others.
i could may help u.

Dr.Jatin Patel
my email drjatinpatel@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Dr Kalua, I am so glad to discover your blog!

It is wonderful to hear your news from Malawi, and even better to bump into you from time to time at ICEH.

I will be happy to add the news about your hospital, and the (perennial) shortage of medical staff to the VISION2020.org website and newsletter.