25 July 2025 (Last updated: 25 Jul 2025 13:36)
Its July and the LION project has reached the half-way post. A fantastic achievement for the volunteers, the BSSH LION Project Team and the BSSH Global Partnership Committee, facilitated by BSSH.
An immense amount of clinical work has been undertaken and the partnership with the LION remains strong with the Hand Unit in Malawi is gaining international recognition as a specialist training establishment. The unit in total has had 72 volunteers (30 consultants, 22 trainees and 20 hand therapists taking part. We are now training our 5th hand fellow. It has been and remains a truly international effort with consultants from Ethiopia, Zambia, Saudi Arabia and Greece, trainees from Chile, Saudi Arabia and Canada and therapists from Mexico, Ireland and Canada taking part in a continuous programme. We have also had visits from 3 medical students (on elective from the USA and the UK), 4 professors and 3 BSSH presidents.
The project funding remains healthy with a total of £263,500 raised so far, helped by a generous grant from ACUMED (USA) of $15,000 USD for needed equipment with more grant applications underway. The LION Just Giving page has registrered a total of 1,066 donations so far with a massive effort from from all the volunteers, 12 of them raising over £1000 (Jeremy Stanton and Kate Owers raising over £5,000 each)!
Current LION team: Kelvin Tse, Sylvester Nkunika, Mzati Chikapilo, Sean Walsah, Mary Gibby, Picha Mhango, Priscilla
In June, Andrea Jester (Consultant), Mary Gibby (Trainee), Kelvin Tse (Therapist) were the LION Hand Team, with Precious Kachitsa (Senior Hand Fellow – LION Orthopaedic Consultant) and Mzati Chikalipo (Hand Fellow - ST4 plastic surgical trainee from Blantyre), a strong multi talented orthoplastic team indeed! Leonidas Dimou, the previous Hand Consultant from Greece, sadly had to leave early. However Kachitsa, the local Orthopaedic Surgeon (Senior Hand Fellow), stepped up and the team coped extremely well for 2 weeks prior to the arrival of Andrea Jester. The unit is still very busy with trauma, but at least the panga injuries peak has passed as the maize season has finished. During this season, farmers have to defend their crops from thieves resulting in this surge in interpersonal violence.
Andrea Jester returned for her second stint as a LION volunteer and engaged in some children’s cases, burn’s contracture release, lymphatic and venous malformation and curettage of Olliers disease and a thumb release in an arthrogryphotic 2 year old toddler. Trauma work included tendon and nerve repairs, drainage of infections and a first stage tendon reconstruction with a tendon spacer in a young man. In addition to recording all complications on Kobo Toolbox, a formal weekly mortality and morbiditiy meeting, submitting monthly reports to LION and the BSSH as part of the clinical governance plan. There have been a few post operative infections, which in this setting is probably unavoidable, but always lessons to learn, regarding diligent skin preparation, sensible use of tourniquet and awareness of patient risks eg. immune compromise etc. In general the overall complication rate is low and the quality of the surgery and therapy provided is good. The weekly teaching of residents continues as per the curriculum supported by Kate Owers and the educational online team, and Andrea offered some further paediatric hand teaching on classifications and embryology of the upper limb.
The volunteers try to fit some “R&R” during their stay to relax and strengthen their mental resilience! In June, the “Benetolos” teamed up with Japanese volunteers and Malawian friends for a day trip to Dedza, famous for a large mountain and world famous Pottery. After a 6 hour hike with the most amazing view at 2198m above sea level, Andrea said that “although our legs were weak and tired, we loved the view from the third highest mountain in Malawi”. All volunteers are returning happy and fulfilled both professionally and personally. They all go through an informal debrief and one volunteer described his 6 weeks out there as “frankly a really life affirming experience”
We are most thankful to our loyal and hardworking staff team at Benetolo House, Charles and Mercy, and William Chikapuda, our security guard. They are so supportive for each and every team member always managing a smile 24/7 for us. They have an ever present willingness to help to make our stay as comfortable as possible.
Charles and Mercy, Benetolo House
As per the recent advertisment for more volunteers, we are seeking consultants and trainees for gaps in 2026 and 2027. Please note the project finishes in January 2028, so anyone who wishes to take part will need to express their interest now as the gaps in the rota are filling up fast for consultants, trainees and therapists.
We are overwhelmed with the response to our fundriaisng dinner in November, tickets sold out within 2 weeks! We are now only taking reservations on a waiting list. The event team is working hard behind the scenes to make it a memorable evening and it really is shaping up to be something really special!
The current leadership team comprises Sarah Mee, Martin Wood, Chrishan Mariathas, Alexandra Griffiths, Chloe Baxter, Jeremy Stanton, Sean Walsh, Jonathan Jones and Kate Owers. Our sincere thanks to the amazing admin support “behind the scenes” from Sabrina Nabi, Charlotte Smith, Emily Lakin and the BSSH Secretariat enabling this inspiring project to keep going. Finally our thanks to the BSSH Council and the wider membership of BSSH and BAHT, the wonderful staff at LION and our Global Partners who continue to show fantastic support for this Global Orthoplastic Hand Surgery & Therapy project.
Please continue to HELP US HEAL THE HANDS of MALAWI.
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