State-of-art orthopedics & neurosurgery medical facility opens doors at KCH

* This support has come at a right time considering increased cases of accidents endured in our roads

* Which do not only claim the lives of our people — but also rebuke a lot of heavily sustained injuries which need surgeries

* I am, therefore, encouraging them and other donors to continue supporting Malawi for the greater goodness of our people

Prince Justice Banda, MANA

Malawians can now breathe a sigh of relief as the state-of-the-art orthopedics & neurosurgery medical facility has been officially opened at Kamuzu Central Hospital — which is set to improve treatment of injuries and neurosurgical disorders for the local community as well as training more qualified surgeons and health personnel.

The Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery (LION) — which was officially opened by President Lazarus Chakwera on Friday —  gives hope to Malawians who have for a very long time being twinned to various forms of life threatening injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, physical and neural disabilities due to increased occurrences of road accidents in the country.

Chakwera expressed his admiration to funders of the huge project — the government of Norway and the family of Norwegian billionaire Trond Mohnand — investing over US$20 million and US$5.3 million since 2016.

“This support has come at a right time considering increased cases of accidents endured in our roads — which do not only claim the lives of our people — but also rebuke a lot of heavily sustained injuries which need surgeries.

“I am, therefore, encouraging them and other donors to continue supporting Malawi for the greater goodness of our people,” said the President.

According to the statement released by the Norwegian Embassy, the funding included construction; implementation and servicing of the LION project, and in his speech KCH Director, Dr. Jonathan Ngoma said the facility also contains a training and research department which will ensure sustainability of the LION services overtime through provision of new professional surgeons and research based solutions to various musculoskeletal and neurosurgery disorders.

The LION’s website; http://www.lion.mw/ , says hospital has an emergency department, operating theatres, a radiology department, labs, rehabilitation center and facilities for education and research. It will also have a separate private wing.

“The LION is an autonomous not-for-profit institution owned by the LION Trust and the hospital will provide quality essential services for free. It also will also have a private wing and offer a comprehensive range of orthopaedic, neurosurgical and rehabilitation services to paying patients.

“LION will deliver integrated point of care services from diagnosis, to surgery and rehabilitation. We have an emergency department, four operating theatres, a modern radiology department, labs and a rehabilitation center to treat patients whether they have acute injuries or impairments due to previous injuries or other conditions.”

Orthopaedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat injuries, infections and congenital disorders of the bones, joints and muscles — while neurosurgeons treat patients with injury to, or diseases of the brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves within all parts of the body.

“Education of qualified surgeons and other health personnel, as well as medical research, are also important parts of the LION Trust’s purpose,” says LION on the website. “Our mission is to reduce the high level of disability and it´s economic impact on the people of Malawi.

“LION will be established with a comprehensive, efficient and effective system gearing at sustainable financing, HR development, retention of skilled staff, maintenance, data collection, research and service delivery to the private and public sector, with all principles of good governance and ensuring access to care especially for vulnerable groups.”

According to http://www.lion.mw/ , the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 5,700 people die due to road traffic accidents in Malawi annually, and about 100,000 are injured in traffic every year.

Over 400,000 children are estimated to be living with musculoskeletal impairments, many that could be treated by surgery.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express