Stakeholders urged to support orthopaedic services

By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza

Malawi orthopaedic association (MOA), says there is a serious need for government and other stakeholders to invest more resources towards infrastructural and human resource development in the orthopaedic services so as to reduce the rising cases of trauma in the country.

President for the association, Moreen Sabawo, said this in Blantyre during her associations’ launch of partnership with other orthopaedic project partners.

Sabawo said the country is witnessing the rising cases of road transport accidents on daily basis, hence the need for more investments in the orthopaedic services for quality health care provision.

“Poor investments in infrastructure, capacity building and finances is hindering our efforts to provide quality orthopaedic services. This is very worrisome indeed because it contributes to overburdening traumatic cases,” Sabawo said.

According to her, the country has currently a total of 14 orthopaedic surgeons and 117 orthopaedic clinical officers against the total population of over 20 million people.

“This is not recommended. We need at least 100 surgeons to properly help eliminate the burden cases of trauma in the country,” she said.

On the other hand, Sabawo advised the populace to observe the road transport rules and regulations especially when using the motorcycle, saying this was contributing to increased road transport accidents as compared to motor vehicles.

Sabawo further described the partnership as a step in a right direction as will go along the way to bring about efficiency in the orthopaedic sector.

Claude Martin, the managing director for AO_Alliance, concurred with Sabawo saying the country needed huge investments in orthopaedic services to ensure quality services.

Martin said despite the partnership’s efforts to reduce the cases since 2015, the number of injuries from has increased with 50 percent country wide.

“Malawi need to do more to address the issue of injuries from road accidents most especially on kabaza. As partners, we have limited resources to support, hence call for a collective effort by all the stakeholders,” he said.

Martin said his alliance will continue providing leadership training and support infrastructures in district hospital and health centres in an effort to reduce the burden.

“So far, we have managed to increase the number of surgeons from 4 to 14. We have also refurbished and built new operational rooms.Surely, this will be increased with a collective efforts,” he said