Helping to improve the lives of disabled patients.
Physical difficulty in Malawi poses enormous challenges for both adults and paediatric patients. Many children with disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy are marginalised and socially isolated because they spend most of their young lives on the floor, unable to stand or walk without support. Wheelchairs are unaffordable and even if patients manage to access tertiary facilities and receive recommendations, they are unlikely to be able to afford crutches or walking aids. Mothers carry their disabled children around if they can, but inevitably, the child grows too big and heavy.
Operated by the Blantyre District Health Authority, Zingwangwa Health Centre was opened in the 1970’s and serves a population of approximately 161,300 people. Located in the heart of Zingwangwa, 4km from the centre of Blantyre, the dirt access road to the health centre is appalling and moreover, the descent to the facility from the road is steep and unsuitable for elderly, infirm and disabled patients.
Patient access from the rough road down to the facility is very challenging; severely disabled patients must be carried, and wheelchair access is almost impossible. Moreover, the drainage from the top road is inadequate; in the rainy season this causes severe damage to the retaining wall, with cascades of water flowing down to the health centre.
AMECA was alerted to the plight of disability services for patients at Zingwangwa by the DHO Physiotherapist, Chindikani Mkandawire. Chindikani was instrumental in working with AMECA on the creation of the new physio clinics at Chilaweni and Chilomoni Health Centres.
Staffed by 2 physiotherapists and operating Monday to Friday, the physiotherapy clinic, located in a dark, gloomy, cluttered and ill-equipped room, was totally unsuited for the delivery of any meaningful physiotherapy services. Although structurally sound, it required new larger windows, new lighting, and structural alteration to move the entrance door to create more space and the addition of a patient toilet.
The challenges were as follows:
- Poor infrastructure, cluttered, narrow passages hindering mobility and no patient toilets.
- Poor lighting and ventilation.
- Poor patient retention rate due to poor facilities.
- Almost no equipment.
- Lack of assistive devices for patients to undertake therapeutic exercises.
As can be seen from the photo opposite, patient access from the rough road down to the facility is very challenging; severely disabled patients must be carried and wheelchair access is almost impossible.
It was apparent that, although modifications can be undertaken to create a clinically functional physiotherapy clinic, there is little point unless disabled patients can safely access the facility. The building modifications therefore included construction of a new ramp from the road, which will permit safe wheelchair access and ability of patients, and even the elderly, with mobility aids such as crutches to safely reach the facility.
Operated by the Blantyre District Health Authority, Zingwangwa Health Centre was opened in the 1970’s and serves a population of approximately 161,300 people. Located in the heart of Zingwangwa, 4km from the centre of Blantyre, the dirt access road to the health centre is appalling and moreover, the descent to the facility from the road is steep and unsuitable for elderly, infirm and disabled patients.
Patient access from the rough road down to the facility is very challenging; severely disabled patients must be carried, and wheelchair access is almost impossible. Moreover, the drainage from the top road is inadequate; in the rainy season this causes severe damage to the retaining wall, with cascades of water flowing down to the health centre.
AMECA was alerted to the plight of disability services for patients at Zingwangwa by the DHO Physiotherapist, Chindikani Mkandawire. Chindikani was instrumental in working with AMECA on the creation of the new physio clinics at Chilaweni and Chilomoni Health Centres.
Staffed by 2 physiotherapists and operating Monday to Friday, the physiotherapy clinic, located in a dark, gloomy, cluttered and ill-equipped room, was totally unsuited for the delivery of any meaningful physiotherapy services. Although structurally sound, it required new larger windows, new lighting, and structural alteration to move the entrance door to create more space and the addition of a patient toilet.
The challenges were as follows:
- Poor infrastructure, cluttered, narrow passages hindering mobility and no patient toilets.
- Poor lighting and ventilation.
- Poor patient retention rate due to poor facilities.
- Almost no equipment.
- Lack of assistive devices for patients to undertake therapeutic exercises.
As can be seen from the photo opposite, patient access from the rough road down to the facility is very challenging; severely disabled patients must be carried and wheelchair access is almost impossible.
It was apparent that, although modifications can be undertaken to create a clinically functional physiotherapy clinic, there is little point unless disabled patients can safely access the facility. The building modifications therefore included construction of a new ramp from the road, which will permit safe wheelchair access and ability of patients, and even the elderly, with mobility aids such as crutches to safely reach the facility.