OpenO2 - Meet OpenO2 Corps

It takes many hands to meet the challenge of resurrecting graveyards of broken concentrators across the country. To address this need we have established OpenO2 Corps. This is an opportunity for early career professionals to get much needed experience while at the same time assisting the country in addressing the crisis at hand. OpenO2 Corps interns are part of our solution to address the oxygen crisis emphasizing the use of local resources as much as possible.

In addition to performing oxygen concentrator repairs interns will have the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of projects related to product development. We encourage applications from individuals with varying backgrounds. Applications are not limited to biomedical engineering graduates.

Meet the current Cohort of OpenO2 Corps Interns

Meet OpenO2 Corps Alumni

Elizabeth Nthapalapa - Intern

Elizabeth completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in 2022. While in school, she worked on a number of different projects one of which was the sleep apnea monitoring system for neonates. She also completed a 4 month internship in her final year working at Zomba Central Hospital Physical Asset Management Department where she had an opportunity to learn about oxygen concentrators on the job. At the beginning of 2023 Elizabeth had the opportunity to do a short course with the Africa Drone and Data Academy where she became certified as a drone pilot.

Grace Bwanali - Intern

Grace completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in 2022. While in school, she completed a 4 month internship in her final year working at the Global Health Informatics Institute where she had an opportunity to learn about oxygen concentrators on the job. Grace also had the opportunity to do a short course with the Africa Drone and Data Academy. For her final year project, Grace worked on a continous air quality monitoring system.

Goodluck Banda - Intern

Goodluck completed his Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in November 2021. While in school he completed a 4 month internship working at Kamuzu Central Hospital Physical Asset Management Department where he had an opportunity to learn about oxygen concentrators on the job. He also had the opportunity to attend the DreamBuilder online course program under strengthening Higher Education Access in Malawi Activity (SHEAMA). For his final year project, Goodluck worked on a real time fluid level monitoring system for suction machine canisters.

Boniface Kaseka - Intern

Boniface Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in May 2021. While in school he had the opportunity to work as an intern with Rice 360 at the Polytechnic design studio where he completed his 4 month academic internship and worked on different innovations. In 2021 at the pick of the COVID-19 pandemic, he got the opportunity to work with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Physical Asset Management he had an opportunity to learn about oxygen concentrators on the job. For his final year project, Boniface worked on a digital thermometer which was to be used to monitor temperature of mothers in the labour ward.

Naomi Thompson - Intern

Naomie completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in November 2021. While in school she had the opportunity to work as an intern under Electro Medical Engineering and in her final year she completed a 4 month internship working at Zomba Central Hospital Physical Asset Management Department where she had an opportunity to learn about oxygen concentrators on the job. In 2021 at the pick of the COVID-19 pandemic, Naomie was part of the team that Manufactured locally made face shields at the MUBAS design studio.

Eunice Msiska - Intern

Eunice completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). She completed her industrial attachment at Global Health Informatics Institute in 2021 under the OpenO2 initiative where she gained experience in oxygen concentrator troubleshooting and repairs. For her senior project she created a Hypertension Patient Monitoring System. After completed her studies Eunice also did an internship at the MUST design studio under the RICE 360 University.

Kelvin Saidi - Intern

Kelvin completed his Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS). He completed his industrial attachment at Zomba Central hospital where he gained experience in oxygen concentrator troubleshooting and repairs. For his senior project he designed a wearable device for monitoring atrial fibrillation.

Fatsani Tamandikani - Intern

Fatsani completed his Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Science (MUBAS). He completed his industrial attachment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in 2021 where he gained experience in oxygen concentrator troubleshooting and repairs. For his senior project he designed a pediatric Ventilator.

After completing his OpenO2 Corps Internship Fatsani joined another organization where he is employed as a Data Officer.

Cynthia Chikomoni - Intern

Cynthia completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST). She completed her industrial attachment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in 2021 where she gained experience in oxygen concentrator troubleshooting and repairs. For her senior project she designed a solar powered steam generator that was supplying steam to an autoclave sterilizer.

After completing her OpenO2 Corps Internship Cynthia joined Zomba Central Hospital Physical Assets Management Department.

Linda Mission - Product Developer, GHII/OpenO2

Linda completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in October 2021. She completed her industrial attachment at Mzuzu Central Hospital in 2020 where she gained experience in oxygen concentrator troubleshooting and repairs. For her senior project she designed a wearable device for monitoring atrial fibrillation.

After completing her OpenO2 Corps Internship Linda joined the Global Health Informatics Institute as a full-time employee taking the position of Product Developer for oxygen-related innovations. Part of her duties also involved acting as a deputy team leader of the OpenO2 mobile workshops. Linda is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Advanced studies in medical physics at Trieste University, Italy.

Aubrey Chinkunda - Product Developer, GHII/OpenO2

Aubrey has completed a bachelors degree in biomedical engineering from the Malawi University of Science and Technology. In 2020 he was part of a group of students who studied ways of improving the performance of oxygen concentrators, and as such comes to us with valuable knowledge.

After completing his OpenO2 Corps Internship Aubrey joined the Global Health Informatics Institute as a full-time employee taking the position of Product Developer for oxygen-related innovations.

Bernadette Hara

Bernadette complete a Bachelors in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at the University of Malawi, Polytechnic in 2018. During her forth year she completed a six weeks internship with rice university 'NEST360 project' where she learned the basic principles of oxygen concentrator theory and had an opportunity to repair a few units.

After completing her OpenO2 Corps Internship Bernadette joined a biomedical engineering company where she is employed as a Technical Manager.

Sharon Ngozo - OpenO2 Mobile Workshop Team Leader, GHII/OpenO2

Sharon completed a bachelors degree in biomedical engineering from the Malawi University of Science and Technology in 2020. In her final year she completed a 4 month internship working at Zomba Central Hospital Physical Asset Management Department where she had an opportunity to learn about oxygen concentrators on the job.

After completing her OpenO2 Corps Internship Sharon joined the Global Health Informatics Institute as a full-time employee taking the position of Team Leader on one of the two OpenO2 Mobile Workshops.

Francis Sambani - OpenO2 Mobile Workshop Team Leader, GHII/OpenO2

Francis completed his bachelors degree in biomedical engineering from the Malawi University of Science and Technology in 2020. In his last year he was part of a group of students who studied ways of improving the performance of oxygen concentrators, and as such comes to us with valuable knowledge.

After completing his OpenO2 Corps Internship Francis joined the Global Health Informatics Institute as a full-time employee taking the position of Team Leader on one of the two OpenO2 Mobile Workshops.

Effa Solomon - Intern

Effa completed her Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in October 2021. She completed her industrial attachment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre where she gained experience in oxygen concentrator troubleshooting and repairs. For her senior project she developed a vein-locating device that utilised light in the 680nm range to highlight veins in the skin.

After completing her OpenO2 Corps Internship Effa has been inducted into a 3-month internship at the Design Studio at MUST.

Chimwemwe Tiyesi - Intern

Chimwemwe completed his Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in October 2021 following a four-month long industrial attachment at Kamuzu Central Hospital. For his senior project he developed a light box that uses ultraviolet light to deactivate the COVID-19 virus on items such as masks and gloves.

After completing his OpenO2 Corps Internship Chimwemwe has been inducted into a 3-month internship at the Design Studio at MUST.

Clement Mbobe - Biomedical Engineer

Clement completed his Bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in October 2021 following a four-month long industrial attachment at Kamuzu Central Hospital. For his senior project he worked on a design for a small PSA plant that can work from single phase electricity, targeted at smaller health centers where three-phase electricity may not be available.

After moving from OpenO2, Clement worked as a biomedical engineer with Partners In Health overseeing the technical team in the implementation of BRING O2 project. Sadly Clement passed on in November 2022.

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