Caring for Women and Children in Malawi
An Interview with Linda Phiri
This week, we had an interview with Linda Phiri, our program manager for the Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Services, on the topic of caring for women and children in Malawi.
How long have you worked with Orant’s health services?
I joined Orant in April 2016, as a nurse. I have since worked my way up to oversee the maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health services.
What does your work involve?
I am a nurse midwife and my job involves nursing patients and conducting deliveries in the maternity ward. I also manage maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health programs. This focuses on deliveries, antenatal care, postnatal care, and under-5 health services. I also work on post abortion care, cervical cancer screening, family planning, and adolescent health services.
How important is your role to the communities that you serve?
My role involves making sure that the community receives the best health services at our static clinic as well as at our Mobile Outreach Clinic. I work to ensure that every woman of child bearing age uses the best services we offer at the facility. This includes antenatal and deliveries services as well as under-5 children and youths who also get the services they need at the facility.
What kind of challenges do you face in your work and how do you overcome them?
Working with rural communities, where most of the people’s education level is low, can be challenging as it is hard for most of them to grasp, understand and use information. For example, a lot of women do not understand the benefits of hospital delivery and starting antenatal services early. However, we are still providing the information on such issues and the facility has started offering antenatal services right in the communities.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
I am so motivated when I see the patients who were under my care well-managed and to see pregnant women going home healthy and happy with their newborn babies after delivery. This makes me so happy as a nurse midwife. Lastly, it is my wish and the wish of the Orant that our community receives the best healthcare services and that the community will understand the benefits of this facility in their community.
Looking for more information about our Maternal and Child Health Services?
Email us at [email protected] to get in touch or to set up a visit to our rural health facility in Kasese, Dowa, Malawi.
