The First Caesar in Malawi!

17.7.2008

The first caesarean section was performed recently at the hospital in Monkey Bay in Malawi when an operation room was opened there. “The first operations have been successful and we expect that the new facilities will save women in labour distress,” says Guðbrandur Þorkelsson, a doctor who works as a counselor at the hospital on the behalf of ICEIDA.

Until now most operations in this area have been performed at the district hospital in the district capital of Mangochi. “Over 40 thousand women are pregnant every year in this area, around 6400 need a caesarean section and we expect to be able to perform at least 300 caesarean sections every year. We welcome the possibility of being able to ease the strain on the district hospital, especially the labour and women’s health department. Before, it was often necessary to transport the women to Mangochi which is at least an hour away and considerably longer during the rain season,” says Guðbrandur.

The new operation room is a turning point in the history of the hospital which was built for Icelandic development funds and the services will be carried onto another level. Operations related to women’s health will be, according to Guðbrandur, performed to some degree at the hospital in Monkey Bay and also minor orthopaedics surgeries when x-ray facilities will be functional. “People are understandably happy with the operation room and the health officials in the district have been very interested in these developments because, truthfully, they have been overflooded with operations at the hospital in Mangochi,” he says.

Guðbrandur points out that the hospital’s activities have increased every year and various areas are starting to get constricted. “There is a need to further expand the hospital and hopefully, the constructions will carry on in full swing,” he adds.