It’s Not Just Funding Our Health Systems Need More Of…It’s Compassion
When I began my Global Health Corps fellowship as a Communications Associate, I was excited primarily because I knew I was going to be part of a group of like-minded young people from around the world promoting health equity. The second reason I was so enthused about the fellowship was that I’d join the organization working to bring basic, sustainable, and quality healthcare to the poorest of communities through medical and management training in Malawi and other African countries–– LifeNet International.
As a Communications fellow for LifeNet, I wanted to use this opportunity and my skills to identify the biggest challenges in Malawi’s health care system and determine how I could make a difference. From my experience and observation as a Malawian, I saw that most of our hospitals lack funding, medical supplies, adequate medical staff, and proper infrastructure, among other issues.
A few months into the fellowship, the facilities I had visited had similar challenges. But the more I visited these rural facilities, the more I learned that the problem was more than just the aforementioned lack of medical supplies, funding, proper infrastructure, and adequate medical staff.
Compassionate leadership was the missing piece in the puzzle.
In our struggling economy, we might not have adequate funding for health care anytime soon, but with compassionate leadership, the resources that are available could go a long way in reducing preventable deaths in Malawi. It is unfortunate that the spotlight for challenges in medical care seldom falls on the importance of leadership — a quality I think deserves more consideration than I can emphasize.
LifeNet International believes in delivering health care services with compassion. As such, it partners with Christian health facilities that share this value as well. As a Communications fellow for LifeNet, I had the privilege to have deep conversations with different leaders managing these health facilities. More often than not, the main takeaway from these conversations is how important compassionate care is in the health care system.
For example, in one of the busiest health care facilities in peri-urban Lilongwe, I met Sister Grace, who manages St. Kizito Health Center. On that particular day, the facility was very busy. The guardian waiting shelter was packed full of women, babies, and men on their laps. The pharmacy waiting space was full and there were people everywhere. Sister Grace and her team had their hands full trying to serve as many patients as possible, which meant that I had to wait longer than expected. I asked if I could make the rounds with her while I waited to speak with her.
As we went around, I noted something peculiar about Sister Grace that I had also observed in other facilities that are performing better within the LifeNet program. Sister Grace led her staff with compassion and kindness and encouraged them to extend their compassion to the patients they served. She spoke to every patient with warmth and care and was even familiar with some of the patients we were meeting in the corridors. Later on, as we had time to talk, Sister Grace explained the challenges that the facility faces, but the emphasis on how she handles everything caught my attention.
As a Catholic nun, Sister Grace believes that medical care is a calling from God. For her, she has left everything through personal sacrifice and dedicated her whole life to leaving an everlasting legacy in the community she lives. She further explained that understanding the limitations in funding, staff, equipment, and medicines are important to managing resources at her disposal with utmost care to ensure the most vulnerable in the community access quality care.
Leading with compassion allows her to be accountable to herself, her team, and the patients she serves — bringing trust, integrity, and motivation to those around her.
With compassionate leadership, Sister Grace tackles medical care challenges with hope and kindness. She is inspired by Medical Missionaries of Mary that derive great energy from the Gospel story of Biblical Mary. There is a wholeness and seamless quality to her life. Her daily prayer energizes her work and the human needs and suffering of the world draw her into service for others. Her spirituality and care for others are deeply rooted in the Christian Gospel, especially the mysteries of the Incarnation, Visitation, and Nativity, all told in the Gospel of Luke.
My experience with Sister Grace is a reflection of all the best-performing facilities in which LifeNet is working. Its leaders are compassionate and accountable to the tenants of compassionate care. By promoting these values, LifeNet is transforming African health care in both management and medicine. The facilities are improving their pharmacy management, record-keeping, and financial management which in turn help to serve so many with little resources. As we work tirelessly in mobilizing resources to improve health care, let us look beyond the material need. Let us be leaders that serve others and manage resources with compassion, humility, empathy, and accountability.
Joseph Thotholani Njoka was a 2021–2022 Malawian fellow who served as the Communications Associate at LifeNet International.
Global Health Corps (GHC) is a leadership development organization building the next generation of health equity leaders around the world. All GHC fellows, partners, and supporters are united in a common belief: health is a human right. There is a role for everyone in the movement for health equity. To learn more, visit our website and connect with us on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook.
