News from FOSC

October 2011

"Length and Height of Britain” [LAHOB] was a recent, ambitious adventure that was a huge success and looks as though it will make about £8000 - £10,000 for FOSC.

www.lahob.org.uk is well worth a visit.

Commencing 1st September, Christo Impey, Ben Trenouth and Malcolm Molyneux – combined age 200 years – cycled the length of UK - from its south-west tip at Land's End to its north-east tip at John o' Groats, a distance of 1,740 km (1,100 miles).They also managed to fit in the height of Britain by ascending Ben Nevis! Liz Molyneux drove the same route in a car to monitor progress and carry necessities.

Made it! Many congratulations to the 3 adventurers and their intrepid support team (Liz).

Liz, Malcolm and Christo have between them spent a total of 60 person-years working in Malawi.

Staff News

The post graduate Master of Medicine doctors are doing very well and some have completed their training and are back in the department.

Two of the FOSC nurses undertook a post graduate course in South Africa, returned to the QECH and are making a really difference to the quality and efficiency of care.

Two of the FOSC nurses, including The Thousandth Man nurse (see earlier NEWS) are currently at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for 3 weeks as part of their continuing development.

Matron is now on a post graduate course based in Botswana with some time in South Africa to gain experience.

In summary, slowly the quality of care and opportunities for Malawian doctors and nurses is improving. Clinical officer training is to be under the umbrella of the College of Medicine which will also help in team cohesion, staff career structure and quality of care.

New Head of Department

Neil Kennedy MRCPCH MMedSci DTMH has taken up the post of Head

of the Paediatrics Department in succession to Tom Heikens.

Not so good news…

The current assessment from Malawi is that there are only funds up to March next year for salaries for all FOSC staff and some harsh decisions will have to be made if funds do not flow in…….. £100,000 is needed each year to maintain the base staffing required [that’s only £1 per child seen at the unit each year].

There are still not enough nurses staying in the government system because of poor pay and work conditions and probably because of bureaucratic delays and mishaps.

22 Cartons head for Malawi

February saw the despatch of 22 cartons (almost 3 cu metres) of knitted hats, jackets and blankets, plus cot sheets and a whole host of other great ‘stuff’ for the forthcoming colder season in Malawi.

Thanks must go to Alexis Cowie who started this a few years ago with modest expectations but which has grown way beyond all those expectations! There is a small army of knitters and sewers the length and breadth of the UK who continue to produce much needed and much appreciated items for the little patients at the QECH…….from premature babies through toddlers and so on……………and we are very grateful to them all.

Thanks also to Adrian Bytom of ELC Contractors for taking time out from the company’s business to truck the cartons to the DHL depot. DHL are also due thanks, Doug Choyce in particular, for organising the despatch of the cartons as part of their special humanitarian support and at special rates.

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90^th Birthday Present

Out of the blue in March we received word recently that Mrs Josie Lewis had decided she did not want any presents for her 90^th birthday but if her friends and relatives would like instead to make a donation to her favourite charity then that would be wonderful. As a result FOSC received a generous cheque that Mrs Lewis would like to go towards the premature baby unit at the QECH. No sooner said than done, Mrs Lewis; thank you so much and many happy returns from us all.

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Many CONGRATULATIONS to Mark Jones, Hans-Joerg Lang and Terry Bishop on completing their 1,113 km sponsored cycle from the very north to the very south of Malawi…what a feat!

Mark Jones | Hans-Joerg Lang | Terry Bishop

They finished the ride in six and a half days but, as they say, it's not a record that will stand for very long because the roads down south are rapidly being upgraded. However, it has to be said that anyone who does it in less than six days will be doing very well indeed!

There is now afull day-by-day account of how it wenton the End to End web site, with lots of greatpictures by Mark. Please take a look, and we hope you enjoy it.

http://www.design-edge.co.uk/mwe2e/index.html

Their Just Giving total currently stands at a magnificent £8,530 including Gift Aid plus they have had substantial contributions of food products donated direct toQECH from RAB Processors and Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited.

An added bonus is our BIG sponsor, EuroCharity will match the funds raised as part of their very generous commitment to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital – QECH Paediatric Development Partnership.

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The next container load heads for Malawi

March saw the next container, organised by The Birmingham Diocese, head for Malawi.

The Birmingham Children’s Hospital Partnership project with the QECH again bought space on board and as I am often asked what sort of things are needed and sent out in these containers I have given the details below:

66 boxes went with an estimated total of 80 cubic feet containing:

23 boxes of brand new good quality brightly coloured hospital curtains (sutures included in

one of boxes).

2 boxes of respiratory equipment

5boxes knitted baby clothes

3 boxes of surgical drapes and gloves

1 box of safelights for radiology

8boxes of syringes and needles

6 boxes of needles and dressings

1 box of anaesthetic masks

1 box of bandages

10 boxes of knitted blankets (1 box also contains knitted toys)

2 boxes of BNF medical books

1 active large play toy consisting of a brightly coloured parachute

2boxes medical equipment

1 box of blood taking equipment for the labs

1big box ofspectacles (with prescription lenses) for the EYE Unit.

Special thanks to Pete and Sue Bainbridge of Peter Bainbridge (Optometrists) for organising an amazing collection and cataloguing exercise.

Additional individual items consisted of:

1 set of aluminium crutches

1 set of baby scales

2 light boxes for radiology

4 Wheelchairs (one is non-folding)

3 fluffy cushions

Thank you to everyone who helped gather, box and deliver these things to the loading point and a special thanks to Mandy Tyler of BCH who takes on the sometimes onerous task of organising it all at the BCH end..

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The Thousandth Man – Richard Burns Charitable Trust FOSCinMalawi nurse……..

The trustees of the charity very generously donated the sponsorship of a FOSCinMalawi nurse for a whole year and Phoebe has been awarded the honour. Thank you from everyone involved at FOSC.

Phoebe will be coming to Birmingham Children’s Hospital at the end of May for a few weeks as part of the Partnership Development Programme and she will certainly be calling in to the Charity’s Birmingham offices to say hello to her sponsors.

We are delighted to announce that Liz Molyneux OBE, FRCPCH, FRCPCH (Hons), FFCEM, Professor of Paediatrics, who lives in Blantyre, Malawi and continues to do so much at the Department, has agreed to become a trustee of the charity. This further ensures the strength of the direct links that the charity has with the very purpose of its work and its focus.

 

The trustees now comprise Gordon Cowie, Stuart Reynolds and Liz Molyneux

Current news from the QECH in Malawi is not good!

Everyone at FOSC was deeply saddened by the untimely death of colleague Mr Kamwendo, the Clinical Officer in A&E. Widely liked and very much appreciated for his hard work, Mr Kamwendo will be sadly and hugely missed.

A measles epidemic is affecting all of Southern Africa and the QECH has not been spared. Slippage in immunisation coverage over the last few years has caused the problem to re-emerge and the children with HIV are particularly prone to nasty post measles complications, especially of the chest."