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Malawi Update

The Fine Pharmacy
The first sight of St Andrew’s Hospital, Mtunthama is now transformed. In truth, it used to
be the rather un-prepossessing initial glimpse of some outside toilets, closely followed by
rather a lot of pipes and assorted electric wires. Now the Fine Pharmacy stands proudly in
place of the loos (which are now tucked away, and greatly improved, by the way); all the
pipes and wires have gone, probably underground I suppose, and a handsome extension
greets each arrival.
But of course the transformation is
more than just visual, more than just
architectural balance. The hospital has
long outgrown our first pharmacy
which was little more than a walk-in
cupboard really. In addition to being
small, the pharmacy servery opened
out into the main entrance, so people
queued for their medication in exactly
the same congested area where the
outpatients queued for their
treatment.
Now there is a handsome veranda, a smart office, a very large storeroom and a secure store
for sensitive stuff. It's brilliant. But the knock on effects have also been huge. Hitherto, all
the administration functions have, for want of anywhere else, been done in the hospital itself
- in rooms increasingly needed for medical work. So at last we have moved the offices out,
some into space vacated by the old pharmacy. We have made a separate administration
entrance, so that the main entrance is now medical only. While we were about it, we also
created an Emergency Entrance - surely every hospital should have one? – and happily those
with serious emergencies such as burns no longer have to be manoeuvred past the constant
outpatients’ queue.
And so it was a delight for me to unveil the plaque dedicating the new Pharmacy to Alexander
Garvey Fine, a gift in his memory from his loving mother, Rosaleen. My sincere thanks to her
and all her family.

St Andrew's Hospital
We lost an outstanding administrator, Aubrey Wande, last year, and we wish Aubrey well.
But happily we have gained another splendid manager, Chris Zambira. Chris has summed up
our work together in the introduction to his annual report:

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