Six years ago, the arrival of Dr. Jens Vaylann and his family to Nkhoma Mission Hospital in Malawi catalyzed the establishment of a surgical department where there was never a full-time surgeon, with a long-term vision of training Christian surgeons in a country that has one of the lowest surgeon-to-population ratios. Within the span of 2 years, he formed a dynamic team by bringing in 4 additional general surgeons, all of whom uprooted our lives to come to Nkhoma because of his strong vision and servant leadership, and started a PAACS surgical training program. What do I mean by servant leadership? I think of his accomplishment of building a surgical department from scratch, but also the same person who serves refreshments during bible study at his home and replaces lightbulbs in the hospital.
Today, Nkhoma is training six Malawian surgical residents, one of whom will graduate next year, and two more starting in January. It is no exaggeration to say that there has been blood, sweat, and tears behind Dr. Vaylann’s accomplishment. Psalm 127:1 encapsulates the basis of my dear colleague’s work: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” His time at Nkhoma has come to an end as he passes on the baton and moves his family back to Germany for his children’s education. Last month, we had an official handover (pictured left) during a hospital meeting when it was announced that I would take over as the PAACS program director, while Dr. Yamikani Limbe serves as the chief of surgery. While these are big shoes to fill, I am grateful for Dr. Vaylann’s mentorship in the past years and solid foundation he has left us with. Please keep the Vaylanns in your prayers as they transit back to their passport country after living in Africa for 10+ years, and for the transition within the surgical department as Dr. Limbe and I step into our new leadership roles.
Wanda Lam, MD
Program Director
Nkhoma Mission Hospital, Malawi
