The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ostrava has a branch workplace in Malawi

At the beginning of January, doctors from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ostrava returned from Malawi, where they continued the long-standing efforts of the non-profit organization International Humanity. The mission included Rastislav Maďar, the organization's chairman and current Dean of the Faculty. The Czech hospital in Fanuelu has become a branch of the Faculty of Medicine.

"We have been active in Malawi since 2012. Initially, we arrived to treat children and adults in remote rural areas far from paved roads, addressing the needs of some of the poorest people on the planet. In these regions, we encountered many neglected conditions and severe malnutrition among children. After two years of fieldwork, we built a small hospital here, significantly improving their dire situation. Doctors at this hospital see about 100 patients daily from a wide catchment area," describes Rastislav Maďar, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, regarding the current healthcare conditions in Malawi.

Associate Professor Lubomír Martínek, Head of the Surgical Clinic at the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Ostrava, joined the expedition this year. He came to assess the situation closely in surgical specialties and intensive care at  the country's largest hospital, Lilongwe Central Hospital, and at the district hospital in Mchinji, where he introduced local surgeons to modern surgical techniques. Both doctors had previously conducted a joint mission in West Africa's Benin a year ago. "The situation in Malawi is even worse than in Benin. The main hospital in Lilongwe serves a catchment area of 7.5 million people but has only six intensive care beds available for them. Meanwhile, the district hospital in Mchinji, serving 700,000 people, has only two surgeons, one of whom is still relatively inexperienced," explains Lubomír Martínek.

During his January stay in Malawi, Dean Rastislav Maďar also signed Memorandums of Cooperation with the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, the largest institution training doctors, dentists, and other healthcare professionals in Malawi, as well as with the District Hospital in Mchinji. "Mutual exchange of experts and students will enrich both parties. Additionally, the Czech hospital in Fanuelu has become a branch of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ostrava and will serve as a scientific research center. More specialists from the Faculty of Medicine are expected to head to Malawi in the coming months," adds Dean Rastislav Maďar.

Updated: 22. 01. 2025