Trip organised by the British Society for Surgery of the Hand

A surgeon at Solihull’s Spire Parkway Hospital has completed a four-week voluntary surgical mission in Malawi, delivering emergency care and specialist training in one of the country’s main orthopaedic centres.

Mr Talvinder Singh, consultant Hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder surgeon, travelled to Malawi as part of a charitable programme organised by the British Society for Surgery of the Hand. 

The initiative focuses on strengthening hand and orthopaedic surgery services in low-resource settings by providing on-the-ground clinical support and training.

Mr Singh said: “This programme provided an opportunity to support local teams in

delivering specialist care. 

“I carried out emergency and elective hand surgery and offered training where it was needed.”

Strong emphasis on skills transfer

During the placement, Mr Singh was based at the Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, where he carried out both emergency and elective hand surgery while working alongside local clinicians. 

In addition to delivering frontline care, the mission placed a strong emphasis on skills transfer, with on-site teaching forming a core part of the programme.

Malawi typically faces significant challenges

Malawi faces significant challenges in access to specialist healthcare. 

With only 18 consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeons serving the entire population and electricity access limited to around 15%, the country experiences a high burden of traumatic injuries alongside restricted access to specialist surgical care.

Part of a five-year initiative

This was Mr Singh’s second visit to the Lilongwe Institute. His work forms part of a five-year British Society for Surgery of the Hand initiative, delivered through rotating consultant teams to help build long term capacity within local services. The wider mission also included support from a Hand Therapist and a Registrar, with the visiting team received at the British High Commissioner’s Residence during their stay.

Spire Parkway Hospital said the mission by Mr Singh was part of the healthcare group’s ethos of giving back by sharing the expertise of its consultant team.