20 December 2023 (Last updated: 20 Dec 2023 12:43) by Kate Owers
It is both inspiring and humbling to reflect on how far the BSSH-LION Hand Unit project has come since its conception 3 years ago and the progress made since the first volunteers arrived in January. The continuous presence of our rotating team of hard-working BSSH/BAHT volunteers has meant that a Hand Service, with regular hand surgery and hand therapy clinics, dedicated theatre lists and protected teaching time, has now been established in the newly opened and bespoke facility, The LION (The Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery). With this success has come increasing numbers of patients from an ever-widening geographical location as the word is out! The aim of this project has always been that, through education and training, our volunteers will enable and empower the local surgeons and therapists to specialise in hands. We hope that therefore in potentially 4 years’ time we will be able to gradually withdraw our presence on the ground and that this new Hand Unit will become a sustainable service and continue to help heal the hands of Malawi in the future.
Three of the Leadership Team (Jonathan Jones, Martin Wood and Rowa Taha) were able to visit the Lilongwe last month and catch up with the current team on the ground. They had been running a wrist fixation course and operating with our colleagues nearby in Blantyre as part of the larger BSSH Malawi project, another BSSH Global Partnerships project. They took the opportunity to visit the new hospital and also to meet Amy Potter of the British High Commission who is interested and supportive of the project.
It has since been a privilege to welcome Boston Munthali, Medical Director of the LION, on a short visit to the United Kingdom and for so many of us to be able to hear in person how much progress has been made following the challenging but exciting move of their Orthopaedic Dept from Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) into the LION. This build, which he has overseen, has taken about 6 years to complete and there are now plans to build a specific paediatric ward and school area, as children’s services have not previously been segregated. This new venture will hopefully tie in with the BSSH/BAHT supporting the development of a Pan-Malawi Paediatric Hand Surgery MDT chaired by Andrea Jester, one of our previous volunteers, in the future as well.
Boston’s visit was planned to coincide with the BSSH Autumn Meeting in Glasgow, which he found both educational and enjoyable. He was able to hear both Rowa Taha and Abigail Shaw present on behalf of the team. Rowa presented a summary and an analysis of the first set of operative data that has been collated at the LION and Abigail more specifically regarding surgical site infection following hand trauma management in low- and middle-income countries. This data will support future business cases for employing local staff and other vital resources for the Hand Unit as well as informing best practice guidelines.
Boston was also able to meet several members of both the wider BSSH and ISSH community, including catching up with past and future LION volunteers. His itinerary included a visit to London, hosted by two other members of the Leadership Team, Sarah Mee and Kate Owers, to see the Hand Unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. They were able to demonstrate the benefits of running MDT hand trauma clinics with surgical, therapy and nursing staff working together to provide a smooth patient pathway alongside hand trauma lists managed by their hand trauma coordinators. This is the sort of set up that they would like to try and emulate in Malawi. He was also able to spend time observing major trauma management at Leeds General Infirmary, kindly hosted by Chrishan Mariathas, the BSSH Global Partnership Committee Chair.
Fundraising remains a vital part of the BSSH LION project, even more so now as the costs are rising, and we’d especially like to thank Osteotec Ltd who chose us as their main charity this year. This was celebrated at their 30th anniversary dinner on 2nd December at which Boston Munthali was the guest of honour and members of BSSH and BAHT were able to attend and support. This gala event, which included a silent auction, in combination with the BOLOS (BSSH/Osteotec Lake Of Stars) Challenge has meant that Osteotec have raised an incredible amount of funds to support the BSSH LION Hand Unit.
Their kind donation, along with several fundraising efforts by BSSH/BAHT members and other generous individuals and companies has meant that the target of raising £50,000 this year, to match the BSSH’s generous pump priming donation, has been met - which is both wonderful news and a huge relief, as it means this invaluable and life-changing work can continue.
On that note, if any members of the BSSH have personal or professional links with any high net worth individuals or other companies that might be interested in supporting this project, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the secretariat LIONhandunit@bssh.ac.uk who would be delighted to provide you with a letter and information to support your request for donations.
In other news, Benetolo House (our volunteers’ accommodation close to the LION) is feeling more like home, with each group of volunteers’ adding their own stamp! A badminton net has been set up and a beautiful herb garden planted by the current team and several new chicks have recently hatched in the hen and guineafowl house!
If you are thinking about volunteering, for this or any other Global Partnerships’ project with the BSSH, pease let us know: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9VSJS2
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