Short Report - Special Collection: Innovative educational methods for FM training in Africa

Improving healthcare delivery at a district hospital through teaching interns – A short report

Amos Mailosi, Jessie Mbamba, Carol Humphry, Anda Nindi-Nyondo, Modai C. Mnenula
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine | Vol 16, No 1 | a4384 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v16i1.4384 | © 2024 Amos Mailosi, Jessie Mbamba, Carol Humphry, Anda Nindi-Nyondo, Modai Clement Mnenula | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 09 November 2023 | Published: 26 April 2024

About the author(s)

Amos Mailosi, Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
Jessie Mbamba, Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
Carol Humphry, Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi; and SEED Global Health, Malawi, South Africa
Anda Nindi-Nyondo, SEED Global Health, Malawi, South Africa
Modai C. Mnenula, Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Oral Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi

Abstract

Every district in Malawi has at least two doctors managing the social and healthcare needs of the local population. The medical doctors at the district are involved in administrative work and have minimal time for clinical practice. As such in most district hospitals, clinical officers (COs) form the backbone of patient care provision. These are cadres that have a 3-year training in clinical medicine; they work side by side with medical assistants (MAs) and nurses. Apart from the Ministry of Health (MoH) workforce, the Department of Family Medicine (FM) of Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) has its main district site at Mangochi. Family physicians and residents from FM department assist in provision of mentorship and teaching to other cadres. Work-based learning requires various strategies and approaches. The experience reported here involves deliberate mentorship and support to enhance the learning of other cadres. Family medicine residents learn through the active participation in these sessions to become future consultants and leaders in primary health care.

Keywords

clinical lecture series; clinical officer; medical assistant; family medicine

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 3: Good health and well-being

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