Friends of Sick Children in Malawi

We are pleased to bring you our Autumn 2021 newsletter.

Please feel free to share on your social media and pass on to any friends and contacts who may be interested.

Good reading!

Zikomo

Gordon, Liz, Alexis and Stuart in the UK and Joe, George and team in Malawi

We are pleased to bring you our Spring 2021 newsletter.  In spite of the present world situation there is much to be positive about and we have tried to capture as much good news as possible.

Please feel free to share on your social media and pass on to any friends and contacts who may be interested.

Good reading!

Zikomo

Gordon, Liz, Alexis and Stuart in the UK and Joe, George and team in Malawi

The priority areas for the project supported by the charity are:

training & development of Malawian personnel

upgrading infrastructure

on-going Drugs and Equipment and Medical Consumables

Some indicative cost estimates:

Drugs

Cardiac clinic - £1,250/$1,750 per annum (mostly digoxin, captopril or enalapril, spironolactone)

Neurology / epilepsy clinic - £1,525/$2,135 per annum (sodium valproate, carbamazepine)

Sickle cell clinic - £625/$875 per annum (hydroxyurea)

Diabetes clinic - £625/$875 per annum (insulin)

Neonatal follow up clinic - £ 625/$875 per annum (mostly iron and vitamins for our ex-prem babies)

General and asthma clinic - £315/$440 for steroid inhalers

Inpatient drugs - £1,525/$2,135 (amoxicillin or augmentin suspension, IV cloxacillin, ciprofloxacin suspension)

Oxygen cylinders - £625/$875 per annum (we use these to transport patients)

Lactogen (for orphaned babies): £1,250/$1750 per annum

HIV positive children - Fluconazole suspension £ 625/$875 per annum

Equipment

Blood sugar monitors and sticks. Many children who are ill have a low blood sugar and it is important to test it in an emergency. Monitors (20) and sticks for a year estimated at £1,785 ($2,500).

Good quality blood pressure / saturation monitors (mobile, on stands).

Each costs £1,425/$2,000 for a reasonable quality one. We need another 3 for the neonatal unit to cover all our wards.

Oxygen concentrators. We have no ‘piped gases’ – rather we get oxygen from machines which extract it from the air. Several are getting old and are in need of repair or replacement. We need 5 and a basic new one costs about £2,142/$3,000 including the shipping etc.  A portable one that will reduce our need for cylinders costs £2,360/$3,300. We could really do with 2 portable ones.

Suction machines. We need 10 manual / foot pump ones. Each costs about £145/$200

Vital Signs Monitors. £1,950/$2,750 each

Admission stationary. £1,075/$1,500 per annum

Equipment that is being disposed of in the UK or elsewhere, but we will gladly use:

• Drip stands
• Metal trolleys
• Ultrasound machines (but please contact us first!)
• Patient trolleys
• Wheelchairs
• IV cannulas – 22 or 24 g
• Intraosseous needles
• Phototherapy machines

Maintenance

This is extremely difficult to budget for as reliable engineers are scarce. However, we could spend £3,600/$5,000 a year on this extremely easily should we find a suitable partner.

We hope this finds you and your families successfully dodging the dreaded Covid-19.

Please find attached our Autumn 2020 newsletter with a few more pages than usual for reasons that you will discover within.

Please share with your friends and contacts, especially those who so generously donated to the PPE Appeal.

Good reading!

Zikomo

Gordon, Liz, Alexis and Stuart in the UK and Joe, Queen and team in Malawi