His Excellency President Lazarus M. Chakwera officially opened the Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery (LION) at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) on the 28 th of April 2023. The project has been in the making for over 10 years as a collaboration between Kamuzu Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Haukeland University Hospital (HUH) in Norway, The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Lilongwe, AO Alliance, and CBM. The Mohn family from Bergen, Norway, have funded a major portion of the project through HUH.
LION is owned and run by the LION Trust, but serves as the department of orthopaedics and neurosurgery for KCH providing essential services to the public for free, and is fully staffed by the Government. Paying services will become available to generate income to add to the government funding and subsidise the non-paying services and maintenance of the facility.
During the opening, the President, together with all the delegates toured the newly constructed hospital’s Radiology and Laboratory departments, General Wards, Paying Wards, Operating Theatres, and the Out Patient Department (OPD).
Speaking at the event, the president extended his special thanks to the government of Norway and Norwegian businessman and Philanthropist Mr Trond Mohn and his family for their generous financial support for the construction of the facility.
Here H.E. President Lazarus M. Chakwera is seen shaking hands with Mr Trond Mohn after unveiling the plaque for the new radiology building named after Mr Mohn at LION.