A letter from Sue Makin in Malawi
February 17, 2009
A week in the life of Mulanje Mission Hospital
This second week in February was an eventful week in so many ways here at Mulanje Mission in southern Malawi. On Sunday, February 7, our Presbyterian congregation welcomed 27 high school students and six teachers from Belfast Royal Academy in Northern Ireland for a week of sharing experiences, building relationships, teaching, painting classrooms, and having fun together. Belfast Royal Academy has a continuing partnership with the Mulanje Mission Community Day Secondary School.
On Monday and Tuesday, Mulanje Mission Hospital had the unique opportunity of hosting two specialist obstetrician/gynecologists from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States. These two doctors educated the clinicians and nurses at the hospital on the advantages of intrauterine contraceptive devices as a safe, simple, and effective method of family planning. They brought training materials and the devices themselves so Mulanje Mission Hospital can readily offer this method to our clients.
These twins were born an hour before the photograph was taken.
Sprinkled in with all the visitors the work at the hospital and the mission schools continued apace. On Tuesday, Michael Sabuni, an experienced Clinical Officer at Mulanje Mission, operated on a young woman with a vesico-vaginal fistula, an injury related to previous prolonged childbirth. On Wednesday, darling, brand-new twins came into the world in mid-morning. We rejoiced with the young mother as she held her hour-old twins, attended by a nurse who has come to the hospital for advanced obstetrical training.
Sue Makin (far left) with patients from Mulanje Mission Hospital. Estery Francisco, 17 (center), came from Mozambique for repair of her vesico-vaginal fistula.
Thursday was an exciting day for Estery Francisco, a 17-year-old woman from Mozambique, who had been operated on two weeks previously by Mr. Sabuni for repair of her vesico-vaginal fistula. Thursday was the day to remove the urinary catheter that had been in her bladder for two weeks. It was a new beginning for this young woman, as we confirmed that the operation had been successful and she would be going home no longer leaking urine uncontrollably. All of these types of operations are done at Mulanje Mission free of charge to the patients, paid for by generous Presbyterians in the United States.
On Thursday, I was able to perform two hysterectomies and an operation for a large ovarian cyst in our operating room. Fortunately, the power only went off just as the last operation was almost finished. It was possible to sew up the skin with the light from the windows. Working in Africa calls for patience and fortitude at times.
Friday was a day seeing patients with their various illnesses and complaints. It was gratifying to be able to provide two women with intrauterine contraceptive devices that will protect them from pregnancy for as long as ten years, if they desire. There was also an operation for a chronic ectopic pregnancy thrown in as well for the morning.
Saturday morning dawned bright and early. As the electricity went off at about 8:00 a.m., and it was not raining at that moment, it seemed wise to take off for the beautiful, nine-hole golf course at Mulanje Golf Club and practice some golf swings.
Faithfully yours,
Dr. Sue Makin
The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 44
