Czechs and Slovaks Can Study Medicine in Ostrava Also in English
24 ǀ POSITIV 4/2024
BUSINESS
You returned from a mission in Malawi, Africa, only
a couple days ago. Your faculty runs multiple long
term projects there. What was the goal of your visit?
We have been running projects in Malawi since 2012.
The country has a population of over 20 million and
belongs to the poorest countries in the world, primarily
because of its geographical location and lack of mineral
resources. The vast majority of the country’s land is on
a plateau, which means the area experiences volatile
weather, negatively impacting harvests. The people
of Malawi are hardworking and welcoming, the country
has never experienced war.
Those twelve years ago we were heading into
a country no white person had ever set foot in before.
We discovered places where children suffered from
severe malnutrition, and many people endured
untreated diseases due to inaccessible healthcare.
At first, we treated patients in school classrooms or
churches, the only brick buildings around, however,
we had nowhere to send people with more serious
health problems. This is why we decided to collaborate
with the local government to construct and run a small
Czecho-Slovakian hospital in a green field, two hours
by car from the nearest asphalt road.
Due to the COVID pandemic, we were unable to visit
Malawi in person for multiple years. This time we wanted
to make sure everything works well and at the same
time provide care to local patients with the medicine
we brought. As I had become the head of the Institute
of Epidemiology and of Public Health protection and
the dean of the medical faculty in the meantime, my
personal goal was to develop the opportunity for
institutional cooperation. My efforts were met with
interest from not only the local ministers of Education
and Health, but also dr. Chakwera, the president
of Malawi himself. I have known dr. Chakwera for
7 years now. We worked together to treat his family,
and I am glad that he still sees me as an old friend.
Throughout your stay in Malawi, you signed
memorandums regarding the cooperation with
multiple institutions. What steps will this lead to?
One of the memorandums solidified a collaborative
project with the largest hospital in the country, Kamuzu
Central Hospital, located in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe,
and sporting a catchment area of 7.5 million citizens,
and another district hospital in Mchinji. We also signed
a memorandum with the local University of Health
Sciences, which kindles future physician, dentists and
other healthcare workers. This has opened up the option
for student and expert exchanges between us. For
reference, the country’s largest hospital has 6 intensive
care beds, even though a hospital responsible for that
amount of people should have over 100. Furthermore,
the district hospital, which has a catchment area of
700 thousand people has 5 physicians only, some of
them are still inexperienced and are yet to finish their
medical certification. I also believe that we will be able
to supply Malawi with functional equipment that has
been replaced with newer generations in Czechia. This
equipment could still be used to save lives in Malawi.
To summarise, I can say that we established multiple
external workplaces in Malawi not only for our faculty, but
also for the Ostrava University Hospital (FNO). There are
a number of collagues ready to travel there and selflessly
help the locals without entitlement to financial reward.
Teaching local physicians new procedures, showing
them how to use new tools and technologies, all of this
will greatly help out the patients in Malawi.
What challenges await Ostrava’s medical
faculty in 2025?
We are currently in the process of moving the deanery
into a new building. Finally all faculty management
offices will be under one roof. The construction of
the university science center LERCO is also still underway.
We will also be dedicating a lot of time towards preparing
the necessary documents to gain new accreditation
Czechs and Slovaks
Can Study Medicine in Ostrava
Also in English
Since 2012, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava (OU) has been developing projects
in Malawi, Africa, where it helps improve access to healthcare. We spoke to the faculty’s Dean,
Assoc. Prof. Rasslav Maďar, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, FRCPS. about the established internaonal
cooperaon and the changes planned for the instuon in 2025. OU´s Faculty of Medicine not
only oers a modern academic environment, but also the opportunity to study medicine in English,
which opens the door for both Czech and foreign students.
“
We discovered places where children
suered from severe malnutrion,
and many people endured untreated
diseases due to inaccessible healthcare.
”
“
This is due to our personal approach to
students, the excellent SIMLEK Training
Hospital and the Ostrava University
Hospital (FNO).
”
Tex t: redakce
Foto: Rasslav Maďar