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About Friends of Sick Children in Malawi

The Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) is a large 1200 bedded tertiary referral public hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. All treatments are free.

The children’s unit of the QECH has some 180 beds but has an average daily count of 200 – 330 children as inpatients. 25,000 children are admitted every year.

They are admitted from the Children’s Accident and Emergency Department that sees and treats about 90,000+ children each year.

The Children’s Department has 9 wards.

1. There is a nutritional rehabilitation ward for malnourished children.

2. A special care ward is for all sick and injured children who need a fair degree of nursing care and supervision.

3. There is a nursery for all sick babies born outside the hospital.

4. A medical bay ward receives the chronically ill, or those recuperating from a sudden severe illness and who no longer need to be in special care.

5. An oncology ward looks after children with cancer from all over the Southern region of Malawi.

6. The orthopaedic ward and 7. the surgical ward admit many children with fractures and trauma.

8. Attached to the adult obstetrics unit is a ward for newborns; and

9. A separate 17 bedded ward for mothers and their tiny infants who are learning and practising Kangaroo Care before going home to continue.

The care workload is seasonal. The hot rainy months of December to April or May bring malaria, gastro enteritis and malnutrition - all against a backdrop of HIV/AIDS and stunted growth.

The mothers or grannies stay on the ward with their child and do much of the basic care. Little ones need their mothers for breast milk.

The health services generally are overwhelmed by the need. Human resources have been particularly scarce and without nurses or nurse auxiliaries and clinicians it is not possible to provide effective care. Frequently, drugs have been in short supply and equipment and other resources unavailable or unaffordable.

This is where FOSC has made a difference. Charitable funds have been received and used to increase the number of nurses and other carers in the wards, and to obtain some essential equipment and other resources. 

FOSC has employed, alongside the government paid staff, retired nurses who have already served the government for 20–25 years. These nurses bring experience and commitment to their work. Unlike the government paid staff they are not moved from one unit to another every year (so that, for example, an orthopaedic staff nurse can be sent to work in the neonatal unit and vice versa). FOSC nurses stay in position and their paediatric experience has been a great strength to the department and their little patients.

Through FOSC, the Department started by employing one or two people, and then numbers were gradually increased. In 2008 they had 59 people thanks to FOSC, 24 nurses, 3 clinical officers, 2 home craft workers, 2 play leaders, patient attendants, clerks and cleaners and guards. FOSC staff are paid only slightly more than government staff because unlike them they have no pension, no perks, and no guarantees or job security.

FOSC could not sustain this and so in December 2008 about half of the FOSC nurses were no longer affordable and had to be let go. This was difficult for many, who are widows supporting grandchildren and others of the extended family, but there was no choice.

To be able to maintain a reasonable standard of care, a basic workable staff complement is 50. To achieve this, about £120,000 is needed each year.

There is a great need and the challenge is to raise the funds to be able to provide healthcare for these poor and sick children.

The FOSC Logo is a circle with 2 handprints in it, a little one of a baby and an adult one beside it.

FOSC needs big pairs of hands to protect and help little ones.

Please be a big pair of hands and help with a donation.

Thank you!