Malawi Clinics

malawi.clinics@gmail.com

Why

The Twinning of Scottish and Malawian Clinics Project was set up to help narrow the gap in access to resources between healthcare professionals in the developing and the developed world. By building an online community of ‘twinned’ clinics between Malawi and Scotland we

i) link ‘virtual’ colleagues from the computer desktop to the treatment room
ii) learn from innovations in healthcare in both countries
iii) ‘think global and act local’ in a realistic and measurable way.

How

We install and maintain E-mail and Internet services for Malawian health care staff to afford them the same level of access as Scottish colleagues enjoy in accessing educational materials and professional support. Upholding patient confidentiality is of paramount importance to the Project and we never include the names of patients or clinicians on this blog without their informed consent. Discussions about clinical diagnosis are not case-specific.

The Project is an entirely non-profit organisation and relies of grant-funding. Most of those involved in the Project team give their time and commitment for free.

Blog

The Malawi Clinics Blog provides a continuous update of news from the different clinics, links to relevant developments in information and communications technology and shares video and photo documentation from colleagues in both countries. We chose a blogging format over a traditional website because we wanted an interactive forum for chronicling the Project journey and wanted to join the online dialogue about using simple technology to advance social change, including improvement in healthcare and access to best medical practice. Blogging can seem an intimidating medium to contribute to for those new to it but, with a little support and encouragement it need not be. We are all learning together. Have a look at some tutorials if interested.

Scotland and Malawi

Scotland and Malawi have a long, historical association since the days of David Livingstone. Both are small countries and both have healthcare challenges.
Unlike many non-governmental organisations, the Twinning Project is intended to be a two-way sharing of resources. Traditional one-way aid from Europe to Africa is being discredited for creating dependency and resulting in unsustainable, incomplete projects which lead to a mistrust of international partnerships. Rather, we want healthcare professionals in Scotland to learn lessons from Malawi; helping us re-connect with patient autonomy, health education seminars, the integration of public health with clinical care, and above all professional pride in caring for patients.

For example, in order to be accepted onto a long-term treatment programme patients in Malawi have to give a commitment to try to maintain their nutrition, take their medication as directed, and to attend for follow up appointments. To facilitate this patients must nominate a ‘guardian’ – usually a close family member. Patients in the UK requiring treatment for HIV, hepatitis B or C, and TB also need to maintain good nutrition, comply with medication regimes and attend for regular follow up. A voluntary guardian system might well be acceptable to UK patients and have the potential to favourably alter clinical outcome. Family partners may welcome an opportunity to become more involved in care and may be receptive to being given enhanced responsibility.

In return for the opportunity to view approaches to healthcare through a different lens, Scottish clinics support their Malawi counterparts by sharing technology resources and providing access to online medical journals and clinical discussion. Scottish clinics are welcome to supply surplus, brand new medical equipment to Malawi clinics but this is not the core business of the Project. In both Scotland and Malawi, participation in the Project should not detract from clinical commitments. Patients always come first.

Contact us
Involvement in the Twinning Project should be educational, inspiring, and also fun for all involved. If you would like to join the network of clinics, share your own experience or provide technical support, please contact us.