Current Needs
Current Needs

The three main areas of funding needs relate to Education & Development, Innovation and Creation.

 

Please contact us for more specifics and details if you would like to help.

gordon@friendsofsickchildreninmalawi.org.

1. Education & Development

Educating and developing Malawians in their own nation to world standards in paediatrics; doctors, nurses and clinical officers – the costs of which are a fraction of the equivalent in the UK, Europe or the USA;

2. Innovation


Innovating to develop and make more medical equipment and ‘tools’ affordable and relevant to under-developed and under-resourced settings. Developing the people takes us so far but the people need the tools to successfully apply their skills.

3. Creation

Creating new facilities such as the recently created High Dependency Unit for Children and for upgrading existing facilities such as the Children’s Accident & Emergency building to meet the increasing demand because of the success of this project.

On-going needs in treating our child patients:



Drugs


Cardiac Clinic£ 1,250/$1,750 per annum (mostly digoxin, captopril or enalapril, spironolactone)
Neurology / epilepsy clinic£ 1,525/$2,135 per annum (sodium valproate, carbamazepine)
Sickle cell clinic£625/$875 per annum (hydroxyurea)
Diabetes clinic£625/$875 per annum for insulin
Neonatal follow up clinicproviding mostly iron and vitamins for our ex-prem babies – £ 625/$875 per annum
General and asthma clinic£315/$440 for steroid inhalers
Inpatient drugs£1,525/$2,135 for amoxicillin or augmentin suspension, IV cloxacillin, ciprofloxacin suspension.
Oxygen cylinders£625/$875 per annum to fill. (we use these to transport patients)
Lactogen (for orphaned babies)£1,250/$1750 per annum
HIV positive childrenFluconazole suspension £625/$875 per annum


Equipment Needs:


Blood sugar monitors & sticks.Many children who are ill have a low blood sugar and it is important to test it in an emergency. Monitors (20) and sticks for a year estimated at £1,785 ($2,500).
Good quality blood pressure / saturation monitors (mobile, on stands).Each costs £1,425 ($2,000) for a reasonable quality one. We need another 3 for the neonatal unit to cover all our wards.
Oxygen concentrators.We have no ‘piped gases’ – rather we get oxygen from machines which extract it from the air. Several are getting old and are in need of repair or replacement. We need 5 including shippage and a basic new one costs about £2,142 ($3,000) including the shipping etc. A portable
one that will reduce our need for cylinders costs £2,360 ($3,300). We could really do with 2 portable ones.
Suction machines.We need 10 manual / foot pump ones. Each costs about £145 ($200)
Vital Signs Monitors.£1,950 ($2,750) each
Admission stationary£1,075 ($1,500) per annum
Equipment that is being disposed of in the UK or elsewhere, but we will gladly useDrip stands
Metal trolleys
Ultrasound machines (please contact first!)
Patient trolleys
Wheelchairs
IV cannulas – 22 or 24 g
Intraosseous needles
Phototherapy machines


Maintenance


This is extremely difficult to budget for as reliable engineers are scarce. However, we could spend £3,600 ($5,000) a year on this extremely easily should we find a suitable partner.

Charity Commission number 1140578 Registered Office: c/o Squire Sanders (UK) LLP, Rutland House, 148 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2JR