September 2015 – Bright ideas and Blantyre Cots
If you want something doing ask a busy woman. Dr Queen Dube, takes time to introduce us to the Director of Queens, Dr Goonani, and embarrasses me by telling him about all the projects SI Kenilworth have supported through Friends of Sick Children in Malawi. We’ve been a busy Club! Then we trot round the various wards, Queen walks quickly by Malawi standards. She clearly adores babies and chats constantly to staff and mums, checking on this, confirming that. A few Western style incubators are available, and as we’re getting used to, with several babies per cot for the administration of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) – this keeps prem babies lungs open with gentle pressure. They run using fish tank pumps, these work fine, they’re cheap and easy to maintain. Other babies who are less sick (the term