Dr Lyn Dowds joined the medical team at David Gordon Memorial Hospital (DGMH) in Livingstonia in August 2011. This was at the invitation of the Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), our partner church in Malawi.
Lyn’s work includes undertaking surgery, staff training and administration. While Lyn is working in the hospital, Johnny home-schools their two young daughters.
DGMH - one of five hospitals run by the CCAP - is a 130 bed mission hospital, situated on top of the Livingstonia plateau in northern Malawi, not far from the western shores of Lake Malawi. There is no public transport, no paved roads and hospital supplies are often difficult to obtain.
Malawi is a country blighted by poverty, malaria and HIV/AIDS. The hospital serves a population of approximately 60,000 people through a large community health care programme (CHCP) and four static clinics along the lake shore, two of which are only accessible by boat. Most of the community are subsistence farmers who face starvation if the rains fail.
Malaria, respiratory diseases and AIDS are the main causes of death in Malawi. HIV/AIDS is a growing problem, with resulting deaths leaving a legacy of up to a million orphans and a reduction in life expectancy to around 35 years. The CCAP's mission hospitals have AIDS education programmes and counselling services; while the medical team is exposed daily to the risk of contracting this blood borne disease.
DGMH, like the CCAP's other mission hospitals, struggles to find the funding to meet its running costs. Over the years a number of PCI congregations, as well as individuals, have given generous support, which has been greatly appreciated by staff and patients alike. In the current difficult economic climate, the need for support is even more acute.
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