A new prosthetic and orthotic centre

Until recently, the only prosthetic and orthotic workshop in Malawi was in Blantyre in the south of the country. It is owned and run by the Malawian Ministry of Health (MoH). Even operating at full capacity, it could not hope to meet the needs of the whole country's population - particularly those living outside Blantyre.

In September 2008, with the cooperation of MoH, 500 miles established a new orthopaedic centre for the manufacture, prescription and fitting of prostheses and orthoses in the grounds of Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. It’s called the 500 miles Prosthetic and Orthotic Centre and it opened in April 2009. The 500 miles Centre uses internationally recommended polypropylene technology for the production of devices.

Construction

The building, its furnishings and its construction on site were funded by the Lord Provost of Glasgow's Malawi Fund and City Building (Glasgow) LLP. It was made from three seagoing containers which were loaded in Glasgow with the building materials and the tools required for the works to be undertaken.

The building was then assembled and fitted out in Lilongwe over two exhausting weeks by "THE A TEAM" from City Building (Glasgow) LLP led by Brian Kelly, a truly amazing volunteer, and his right hand lady, Gillian Walsh who is responsible for the Council's relationships with developing Commonwealth countries. 

Management and operation

500 miles will manage, fund and operate the 500 miles Centre until some point between 2016 and 2019 before handing it over to the MoH. 500 miles' first manager of the new Centre is Tone Oygard from Norway. She is a skilled prosthetist/orthotist from Sophies Minde Orthopedi in Oslo with valuable previous experience of working in Malawi as part of the Norwegian exchange programme.   By arrangement with MoH, we are staffing the 500 miles Centre with two qualified members of staff from the Blantyre workshop , Alex Mangulenje and Patrick Giovatti, and one newly qualified technician, Clifford Finye.  500 miles has also engaged the services of a bench worker and a storekeeper/cleaner.

Training

500 miles has committed to pay for the education of at least five new Malawian prosthetists/orthotists before the Centre is handed over to MoH. This will almost double the number of trained Malawian technicians in the country. The students undertake a three year Diploma in Orthopaedic Technology at the internationally recognised TATCOT College in Tanzania. After they have completed their studies, these students will work in either the 500 miles Centre or the Blantyre workshop.

Now in second year, the first three photographs are of the first three 500 miles sponsored students at TATCOT. In October 2009 Tiwonge Kaponda also started the Diploma course.

500 miles also agreed with the MoH to train one Malawian to degree level and so Dumisani Ngulube, a Diploma holder and former employee at the Blantyre workshop who worked at the 500 miles Centre from its opening, began a three year Degree course in October 2009.

If possible, we will select another student to begin the Diploma course in 2010.

The prosthetic and orthotic service

Since the 500 miles Centre opened, we have prescribed, manufactured and fitted over 30 prosthetic and orthotic devices per month.

The 500 miles Centre charges for the devices it makes and supplies. This is necessary because without an income to sustain its operation, the Centre will fail when 500 miles ceases to fund it.

We recognise that the vast majority of the population of Malawi cannot afford to buy prostheses and orthoses. Using our One Smile giving programme which you can join by following the link, 500 miles will fund and part-fund the purchase of devices for disabled individuals and encourage MoH and local NGOs which support disabled people to contribute. This charitable support will be required for the foreseeable future - even after the 500 miles Centre has been handed over to MoH. Our aim during 500 miles' period of management and training of the Malawian staff is to take the 500 miles Centre to the level of operation where it is self sustaining whilst charging the lowest possible prices for devices - since 500 miles will continue to pay for these through One Smile.

These are some of the first patients of the 500 miles Centre.