For months the doors between Mitundu’s Waiting Room and Operating Room hung open on their hinges. This caused issues with cleanliness, security, and patient privacy, and was a priority for the hospital’s maintenance department. What should have been an easy fix became a months-long project made impossible by a lack of the correct type of hinges anywhere in Malawi.
Fortunately, one member of the AHA team planning to go to Malawi in May was an engineer! Before the trip, AHA staff members sent photos of the broken hinges to volunteer engineer David, who purchased heavy duty hinges in the US and brought them to Malawi to assist with this special project.
When David arrived, he was introduced to Mitundu’s Maintenance Officer, Steven. David and Steven worked together to replace the hinges on the outer doors (which required drilling into the metal door frames), and then took a trip to Mitundu Village’s door maker to purchase two new wood doors to be fit into the existing metal frames.
By the end of the second day of camp, Mitundu had beautiful new wooden doors, held securely in place with heavy duty hinges!
Zikomo David and Steven for your outstanding work to get the doors fixed… entering and leaving the theater is now smooth thanks to your hard work!
David buying new doors in Mitundu village