The Palaver Palaver
By Danford Mpumilwa
The author is a veteran journalist and communication expert/consultant. mpumilwa@gmail.com
There are certain incidents one encounters in this world – or rather during one’s brief stint on earth – that make you believe in fate or destiny.
You see, some 60 years ago, my father deliberately decided that I would pursue my upper primary education – for the GnZ, that’s Class V to VII – in the then-remote valleys of the forbiddingly chilly and forested Mount Livingstone ranges in Ukingaland, now part of Makete District in the Njombe Region.
He did so on purpose, believing that being in such a remote location – unlike Benaland, where I grew up – I would face minimal distractions and thus concentrate on my studies. The school was Tandala Upper Boys’ Boarding Middle School run by the Christian Lutheran Church – now a teachers’ training college. I have to admit, it worked.
We, the young pupils at the school, aged between 11 and 16, experienced many life-defining adventures at Tandala. But that is a story for another day.
Today, I want to focus on one particular incident. Our school’s traditional dance group, of which I was an active member, was invited to perform at a special ceremony as part of the festivities marking the opening of the now-famous Consolata Hospital Ikonda, about four kilometres away.
We were thrilled – notwithstanding that we would trek there and back, carrying our drums and other dance paraphernalia – because we knew we’d each get to savour a plateful of rice and beef at the ceremony. A rare treat back then!
We happily danced our hearts out on the muddy, red-soiled porch in front of the main hospital building. Suffice it to say, the hospital was a game changer in this part of the renowned Southern Highlands. And, apparently, it still is.
At the end of my stint at Tandala in 1967, I left for further studies in Iringa, Dar es Salaam and abroad, never to revisit my old school.
But come Easter Sunday this year, there I was behind the wheel of my dilapidated contraption, rattling my way from Njombe to Ikonda and Tandala – some 82 kilometres away – on a smooth tarmac road. This stood in stark contrast to the muddy, hideously slippery road we used back then, on which we used to spend almost a week just to reach Tandala.
This time, I was on my way for a hip joint replacement procedure, to be conducted by resident specialists supported by a team of visiting Italian orthopaedic surgeons, led respectively by Dr Christopher and Dr Roberto, at the same Consolata Hospital Ikonda.
To say I was stunned is the understatement of the year. The hospital I saw was a far cry from what it had been in 1967 during my muddy dancing stint at that hilly outpost.
Curiosity led me to learn that the hospital has a rather long history, dating back to 25 November 1961, when Chief Kiluswa of the Kinga tribe made a formal request to the Consolata Missionaries, highlighting the dire need for a medical facility in the area.
At the time, the local population was plagued by a severe shortage of medical resources, with alarmingly high mortality rates among young children.
Between 1964 and 1968, when it was officially opened by then-President Julius Nyerere, the hospital began to take shape with an initial capacity of 60 beds. Incredibly, to date it has transformed into a massive medical facility with 404 beds, 11 wards, 6 theatres, and 349 staff members, including several specialist doctors.
It was in one of these theatres that I had my successful hip joint replacement procedure. Lo and behold! This also marked the first time – apart from the day I was born – that I had ever slept in a hospital bed as a patient.
I must admit, their professionalism, efficiency, patient care and treatment are top-notch, especially in this very rural but breathtakingly beautiful mountainous area, with its stunning and scenic lush green ridges.
The hospital also offers free treatment to children under ten and to expectant mothers, provided they were born and are resident in Makete District, says Sister Agnes Mlawa, the hospital’s doctor-in-charge.
