Doctors play a critical role in overall growth of Malawi—TNM

Jonazi (right) hands over the assistance to SMD member, Dr. Parth Patel 

* TNM puts keen interest in issues that bind our communities together and uphold wellness of Malawians

* Doctors are integral in the provision of excellent healthcare services that cut across every individual

By Duncan Mlanjira

Malawi’s pioneer mobile network and ICT services provider, TNM Plc, believes that medical doctors play a critical role in the overall growth of Malawi and commits itself towards sustaining the positive contribution of practioners in the development of the country.

Thus the company contributed K6 million to Society of Medical Doctors (SMD) towards their annual lakeshore conference, that was held under the theme: ‘The Doctor’s Role on Disaster Preparedness in Malawi’ at Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi.

At the presentation of the support, Madalitso Jonazi, TNM’s head of brand & marketing, said the contribution underscores the telco’s appreciation of doctors’ value in shaping the wellbeing of communities.

“TNM puts keen interest in issues that bind our communities together and uphold wellness of Malawians,” he said. “Doctors are integral in the provision of excellent healthcare services that cut across every individual in the country, therefore, we saw it befitting to support the conference.

“Doctors are constantly involved in scientific and biological research to find solutions to crucial medical health issues that if left unattended deter developmental progress.”

Jonazi added that the conference agenda added great value towards preparedness of disasters that have been rampant for the past recent years, saying: “We are all aware of the havoc that disasters have caused in the country.

“Disasters challenge the delivery of medical care services and practitioners are always the last hope for casualties,” Jonazi said, while taking cognizance that the conference provided a good platform for the medical practioners to share new measures that could reduce impact of disasters in the country.

The conference brought together 100 delegates comprising medical practioners, key policy makers, researchers and academia from government and private sector.

The Society of Medical Doctors exists with the aim of providing a vehicle through which medical practioners can support the government and other players in their efforts to improve the delivery of health care in Malawi.

The Society provides the space in which doctors can lobby and advocate for better health care systems on behalf of Malawians, through continuous professional development (CPD) and annual conferences.

At the conference, SMD also announced 10 best medical practitioners who have been honoured with the Society’s 2023 awards that saw Dr. Parth Patel, whose full scale healthcare facility, Atlas Medical Center offers advanced and innovative healthcare technology, been voted as the Best Health Care Entrepreneur, while renowned Adamson Muula has been awarded with Best Public Health Physician.

Other awardees are Prof. Victor Mwapasa voted as Best Research Mentor, Dr. Chifundo Kajombo as Best Surgeon; Dr. Patrick Nachipo as Best Internal Medicine Specialist; Dr. Samuel Meja as Best Obstetrician & Gynaecologist and Dr. Mercy Kumwenda as Best Paedatrician; Dr. Glory Sefu as Best Resident Doctor; Dr. Peter Dias as Best Intern Doctor and Dr. Chimota Phiri as Best Clinical Mentor.

In announcing the news, SMD president, Dr. Victor Mithi said they received an unexpected large number of votes for all the 10 categories and the ones chosen were recognised for the “remarkable efforts and milestones they achieved”.

“We, the medical doctors of Malawi, are proud of you and thank you for serving the country with your expertise,” Dr. Mithi said.

Located along Mandala Road, just some 200m from the junction at Red Cross premises — and just after Al Taqwa Mosque at Ginnery Corner — Dr. Patel’s Atlas Medical Center offers affordable and equitable healthcare services that include general and specialist medical clinics.

The specialist clinics include pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, hypertension, diabetes, nephrology (kidney) and general surgery as well as equipped to treat infectious diseases, stroke, thyroid — including heart, lungs and gastro care.

Also on board are physiotherapy services, a walk in prescription-based pharmacy services and it has a diagnostic laboratory for detection of electrocardiogram (ECG), hematology & biochemistry, coagulation & inflammation markers, hormones and fertility, cardia arrests amongst many other services.

The state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory is capable of conducting 100 different types of tests.

Dr. Patel is also trustee for Blantyre-based non profit organization, Our Aim Foundation, that provides life-saving assistance to developing communities which enables them to lead a better life.

In July, Our Aim Foundation donated medical equipment worth over US$500,000 to Queen Elizabeth Centra Hospital (Queens), Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) and Kachere Rehabilitation Centre (MAPD).

The items included wheelchairs, syringes, dialysis fluids, crutches among others and when presenting the equipment, Dr. Patel said the organization decided to support in order to minimize the current status on challenges that the facilities have been going through which needs a serious assistance.

He said as an organization they are always concerned with how the operations in most hospitals are affected due lack of enough and proper medical items which also contribute to poor health services.

Dr. Adamson Muula, medical doctor and public health practitioner at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) who has published over 140 articles in peerreviewed journals with main interests in communicable diseases health systems and medical education.

He is Board Certified Public Health Practitioner by the American National Board of Public Health Examiners and is also the founder member of the Forum for African Medical Editors (FAME).

He has served as associate editor of the Malawi Medical Journal and was elected to the Board of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

Prof. Victor Mwapasa is a public health expert and research scientist who currently leads the delivery of courses in HIV, research methodology, public health & implementation science and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students.

His research focuses on the epidemiology of malaria and HIV, including testing the efficacy and effectiveness of novel diagnostic tests and interventions and evaluating public health implementation strategies for these diseases and associated co-morbidities.

He has expertise in health research capacity development in resource-limited settings and currently leads research capacity development initiatives funded by the National Institutes of Health (USA) and Wellcome Trust (UK).