11 September 2007

Dundee medical students to work in Malawi

Photo opportunity - 5 pm, Tuesday September 11th
Dr Moto with medical students and staff.
New education and teaching block (Heathfield)
University of Dundee

Medical students and staff from the University of Dundee have established a new programme of placements in Malawi which will see them contribute to frontline medical care in the African country.

Details of the programme will be discussed with Dr Francis Moto, High Commissioner of Malawi, when he visits the University on Tuesday September 12th.

The "Medicine In Malawi Placements" will see fifth-year medical students from Dundee working in Kamuzu Central Hospital in the capital Lilongwe on a four-monthly rotating basis from July 2008.

The aim is to enable students to make a meaningful contribution to local healthcare provision in Malawi. In addition to working on their own ward, students will also have the opportunity to do research, audits, and to work on mini projects with international health organizations and at local outreach clinics.

The new programme was the idea of staff at the Tayside Centre for General Practice and is being developed with the first group of students to benefit from this opportunity as they now move into their fourth year at Dundee Medical School.

"All students currently have to do a two-month elective programme at the start of their fifth-year but we thought it would make a greater impact and be more useful if we could spend longer in Malawi and really get to grips with things there," said Rebecca Baird, one of the students who is helping to bring the scheme together.

"It represents a really good opportunity for us as students but hopefully it will also have a considerable impact on healthcare in Malawi, where there is a real need to develop better infrastructure and care."

"Unlike usual electives our programme will support the employment of an additional local doctor and contribute funds to the receiving unit. As students we are also committed to preparing ourselves so we are culturally informed as well as versed in relevant conditions found in that area."

The partner institutions in the project are the University of Dundee Medical School, Kamuzu Central Hospital, and University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi. The project is a member of the Scotland Malawi Partnership.

The pilot phase of the project is being supported through three-year grants from the Scottish Executive International Development Fund and NHS Education for Scotland, although students and staff at Dundee are embarking on fundraising for specific projects.

The scheme will be officially launched with an awareness and fundraising night on Tuesday September 18th.

"The launch night will feature talks from students and doctors who have been to Malawi as well as details of our upcoming fundraising initiatives to raise money to support the local hospital and our work there," said Rebecca .

"There will also be African music, food and an exhibition of 40 photographs taken by Malawian children. In addition to medical students, our guest list includes doctors from across Scotland and guests from the Scottish Executive."

"Our aim to promote the programme throughout Scotland and beyond to firmly establish Medicine in Malawi Placements at Dundee University Medical School for years to come."

During his visit, Dr Moto will also hear details of nurse training programmes which the University has successfully run in Kenya and Eritrea through its Distance Learning Centre.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk