In a nation of 20 million where the pulse of progress was once slowed by a lack of specialized cardiac care, a new rhythm is taking hold. "The Heart of the Warm Heart" chronicles the transformative 2025 mission of MTIMA and the Canadian Society of Echocardiography—a journey where clinical rigor met radical altruism.

From the emotional vows of international volunteers like Christine and Kim Weir to the rise of Malawi’s first home-grown specialists like Dr. Wickson Kaliyapa and the visionary infrastructure built by Precious Chibatala, these stories reveal how targeted expertise acts as a lever to move an entire nation’s healthcare trajectory. At the center of it all is the "resurrection" of a patient once trapped by a "marathon of suffering," now living proof that a sustainable medical future is not just a dream—it is a legacy being built in real-time.

For most clinicians, a "dream come true" is a professional milestone. For Christine, it was a flight to Malawi to bridge a global chasm in healthcare. Witness her life-altering journey from the "heart-wrenching" realities of medical inequality to the "eye-opening" power of sustainable education, and discover how one clinician’s vow—supported by MTIMA—is helping an entire nation’s heart beat stronger.

In the bustling wards of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Kim Weir didn’t just find a medical mission; she found a community. Armed with a transducer and a spirit of radical generosity, Kim’s inaugural journey to Malawi proved that when we share our skills with humility, we don’t just treat patients—we move the needle for an entire nation. Discover the story of the sonographer who turned professional collaboration into a lifelong bond of hope.

Three ultrasound machines and 20 Holter monitors, donated by the London Cardiac Institute (with thanks to Dr. Peter Leong-Sit and Carrie Vaughan), will expand MTIMA’s diagnostic reach—more echoes, more rhythm studies, and on-the-ground training that turns equipment into outcomes.

MTIMA and CSE are sending six clinicians to Malawi in 2025—each backed by a $6,000 bursary—for two weeks of bedside teaching and shared practice, turning collaboration into durable skills that stay after the mission ends.

In two weeks, Marcello SeungJu Na taught at the bedside, screened patients for cardiac surgery, delivered essential supplies, and planned future rotations—quiet, practical support that helps Malawian clinics carry on stronger after the mission ends.

Two weeks of cookies and community raised CAD $1,200—CAD $689 net—for MTIMA’s work, turning holiday treats into practical support for education and healthcare in the year ahead.

For 14 days in October, Rianne of Amsterdam UMC taught echocardiography at the bedside in Malawi—calm, precise, and hands-on—leaving behind cleaner scans, clearer reports, and a clinic day that moves with more confidence.

From Pakistan to Canada in 1969, through 25+ years at the Ottawa Heart Institute, Ismat Shah built a career on clear images and quieter virtues—then extended it by donating her echocardiography archives to MTIMA, turning experience into a living resource for clinicians in Malawi.

MTIMA is backing Dr. Wickson Kaliyapa with a bursary and mentorship as he trains to become Malawi’s first cardiologist—an investment set to return home as care, teaching, and a cardiology service built for Malawians.

MTIMA’s virtual Cardiology Lecture Series brings Canadian and international experts together with Malawian clinicians for practical, clinic-ready teaching—turning evidence into everyday care, strengthening local skills, and deepening a cross-border community of practice.

Six clinicians. $6,000 each. 14 days in Malawi. MTIMA and CSE’s 2025 bursary turns small money into lasting capacity—clearer echoes, faster referrals, skills that stay when the plane leaves.

Cardiac sonographer Gabriel Ho doubles as MTIMA’s outreach engine—turning echo expertise into shareable lessons, lifting engagement and education, and proving that clear communication is not a luxury in cardiac care. It’s upstream medicine.

At CSE 2024 in Montreal, MTIMA made its public debut—live demos, real conversations, and new partnerships—turning a conference booth into a launchpad for sharper teaching, shared protocols, and community-driven echocardiography.

Blantyre Adventist Hospital made history with Malawi’s first two open-heart surgeries, turning overseas hope into local care. The achievement anchors a broader push—training, ICU capacity, and cardiac pathways—so a single breakthrough becomes a sustainable national service.

A GE S70 ultrasound traveled from Ontario to KUHeS and became more than a donation—hands-on training, clearer echoes, faster referrals. Logistics met purpose, and a classroom machine turned into a clinic’s new habit of precision.

In five days at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, a JKCI–Malawi cardiology camp saw 724 patients—524 with heart disease, 60 needing urgent care, 200 queued for surgery—turning months of waiting into actionable plans and resetting expectations for homegrown cardiac capacity.

MTIMA is raising Malawi’s care standard the practical way—teaching cardiac skills that stick, donating equipment that can be maintained, and turning clean echocardiograms into quicker decisions. The result is quiet but real: shorter queues, clearer plans, steadier care.

KUHeS turns evidence into habit, training clinicians to practice what the data prove. Partnering with MTIMA since 2022, the university is strengthening cardiac imaging where it counts—clearer echoes, cleaner reports, faster referrals—so everyday care gains speed, precision, and staying power.