An Even Brighter Future Awaiting Funani
Funani, a clinical officer, has just been accepted by the College of Medicine to study a Bachelor of Science in Obstetric and Gynaecology degree. He has been granted exemption for the first year in view of his working experience in those fields. This means he has to study for three years. His studies will be sponsored by Professor Don Ferrin in Singapore. Funani has been working in Machinga District Hospital for the past four years. This hospital services four districts covering a vast catchment area with 20 health centres. Patients requiring hospitalisation are referred to this district hospital.
There are 200 beds in this district hospital, with a total of 2 doctors, 20 clinical officers and 25 medical assistants. Over 500 patients come each day for consultation with a number being admitted. In its maternity ward, on average there are 40 admitted daily for child delivery. Funani said some nights, he has to perform up to eight caesarean deliveries. Each day, there are also on average 30 normal deliveries. He says he is constantly overworked and the hospital does not provide him or his colleagues with meals, and holidays for staff are out of the question. Funani now is in charge of the maternity ward. This speaks for his commitment to his work, and that the hospital recognises his leadership role.
Funani obtained his clinical medicine diploma in 2013, and was then sponsored by a friend of Fochta. This was a three year course after which he did a year of internship before practising as a clinical officer in the district hospital. Several months thereafter, he was permitted to do surgery without supervision, though he could consult the two doctors in the hospital if need be. However, these two doctors, district medical officers, spend most of their time attending to administrative work rather than patient care, leaving surgeries etc to clinical officers. However there is always an anaesthetist attending every operation in the theatre.
When Funani was one year old, his father left home and never returned. His mother barely survived by selling bananas and sweet potatoes. Then when he was four, his mother died and he was adopted by a relative. Life was very hard at that time and he only managed to have a secondary school education after Fochta agreed to support him, and later to find a sponsor for him to study the clinical medicine diploma. He is now married and has a three month old baby. His wife is working as a medical assistant, currently on a three month maternity leave.