Health Worker Profile: Dr. Msandeni Chiume-Kayuni is transforming pediatric care in Malawi
Dr. Msandeni Chiume-Kayuni, known as Dr. Sandy on the wards, is head of pediatrics and child health at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe, Malawi and chief pediatrician at the Ministry of Health.
“Being a pediatrician has allowed me to serve my nation in the best way I can.”
Motivated by the responsibility she felt to be in service to her community following her government-supported training, her faith, and her desire to serve her country, she continues to improve pediatric services and deliver the best for her young patients.
In the seven years that Dr. Sandy has run the department, the pediatric ward has been reorganized to allow for better bed space and improved patient care. At the 350-bed unit, Dr. Sandy has made significant changes so that her limited staff and resources can be used in the most effective way and save more lives.
Dr. Sandy has overseen the establishment of a new pediatric lab, which has vastly improved result turnaround time from five days to as little as a few minutes, and the installation of a pediatric pharmacy. She has also established a pediatric private clinic that helps generate resources for filling in the financial gap that the department has in serving the packed wards.
The hospital serves a population of over four million children and cases range from prematurity and birth asphyxia to malaria, acute gastroenteritis, and malnutrition. In the high dependence unit, many young patients with chronic renal diseases are also provided care.
Children with chronic renal diseases need dialysis, and Dr. Sandy and her team, with support from Seed Global Health, began to train student pediatricians to provide peritoneal dialysis to children. Previously, children would not have been able to receive dialysis because they were too young and underweight for the adult dialysis centre, which was not properly equipped to treat them.
“Now each and every child in this unit has the opportunity to get dialysis. This is a huge step in the right direction [to eliminate] children suffering,” said Dr. Sandy.
Initially the sole pediatrician on the wards, Dr. Sandy is now supported by four additional pediatricians, but they are still not enough to adequately meet the health needs of the 2,500 children they see every year in the outpatient department.
“When we have the right number of staff and a full complemented hospital, you would be experiencing a very high quality of care. If we had enough time, we would be able to explain the patient conditions better and take enough time with our patients,” said Dr. Sandy.
To build a qualified pipeline of paediatricians in Malawi, Dr. Sandy partnered with Seed Global Health and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) to establish a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree program in paediatrics and child health at the Kamuzu Central Hospital.
Ultimately, Dr. Sandy has a bigger goal. “We are thinking about setting up a children’s hospital so that all the children are [cared for] in one place, and this will hopefully improve the quality of the care they receive.”
For Dr. Sandy, having the right health workforce within her department will allow her staff to give extra time to patients, deliver the best quality of care, and save lives. She is a driver of change in Malawi, ensuring the country’s children can receive the best health care possible and live long, happy, and fulfilling lives.
We spoke to Dr. Msandeni Chiume-Kayuni as part of our Health Workers Save Lives campaign, an effort in collaboration with the Frontline Health Workers Coalition to bring more attention to the vital role health workers play in delivering care and the need for more investment the health workforce.
