Most people retire and take up a suitable hobby. Pat Weir however moved from the PICU in Bristol, a large cardiac surgical unit, to Malawi to continue her work there.
She spoke eloquently at the 2020 E-PCCS conference about her experiences, and agreed to an interview on the topic. The medical, technical, and societal culture shock was huge: but she was able to help many children who would otherwise have had no care available.
We discuss her experiences, the challenges she faced and the wider issues of whether a low income country should spend resources on a small number of high demand patients, or spread resources more widely.
Is there a children’s intensive care system which is ideal? How is the case selection different between high and low income countries? What is the “right” way to do it?
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