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A week in the life of … The official opening of the children’s special care ward was scheduled for Monday, afternoon of 10 January 2005. The guest of honour from the Ministry was the Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr Richard Pendame, and Philip and Lyn Clarke and Mike Stubbs (Philip’s brother in law) were official guests of our department and the hospital. The invitations went out to about 150 people – those who were attached to the ward in some way by work, those that had contributed to the building of the ward, Heads of Departments, Management in the hospital, the architect, the builder and many more. On the Friday before the opening we were told that the Minister for Health wished to come and he wanted to come in the morning – so all Friday afternoon was spent trying to contact everyone (lots of phones not working) to tell them about the change of time. Meanwhile, the Clarkes had arrived on the previous Wednesday. Liz took them to Zomba plateau on Thursday and they stayed the night at the Phalombe Sister’s cottage and dined at the Kuchawe that evening. On Friday they drove to Chingwe’s hole on the outer circular plateau road. The road was not at its best and the car did magnificently to get round. The view, after all that, was obscured by clouds. It had been better at the cottage, where we had started. We were down to Blantyre, in good time, on Friday, for a farewell party at our house for 2 doctors going for postgraduate medical training to the UK. It was a happy time and the Clarkes were able to meet lots of the paediatric staff. Saturday we were off to Makande tea estate where the General Manager, Lawrence Lawrence, showed us all over the estate and the factory. Desiree, his wife, then fed us pancakes on her beautiful khonde, followed by a visit to the owls, the turkeys, the chickens… It was fun. In the afternoon we decorated Special Care with murals brought by the Clarkes. They were great and all the mums enjoyed watching them go up on the walls. Sunday; church at 7.30 am and then more decorating and Liz writes her speech and one for the minister (not needed in the event). Monday morning and we hear that the Permanent Secretary’s mother died the previous night and so he can not come to the opening. The minister came, and there was the signing of the visitors book, Lyn Clarke cut the red and blue ribbon at the entrance to the ward, and the minister unveiled the plaque which dedicated the ward, in memory of Phillipa Clarke, to the children of Malawi. All the children in the ward were given toys. The mothers and nurses sang as they lined the corridors and we all went over to the Malaria Alert Centre for the speeches etc. Dr Grace Malenga was Mistress of Ceremonies and the A&E staff did a drama (how the ward was before and then how it was after the new ward was opened). It was very funny and involved an old granny coming in and thinking that it was a private ward that they would have to pay for. Then dancing and singing. Speeches were made by Liz, the Hospital Director, Philip Clarke, and the Minister. There was an overall feeling of goodwill and thanksgiving. It was emotional for the Clarkes, a minute’s silence was kept for Phillipa. Gifts of Robin Broadhead paintings of the ward were given to the Clarkes and then there was a nice finger food do for all of us. On Tuesday the Clarkes visited the Chisomo Street Children’s programme while Liz caught up with work On Wednesday Liz decided that they should all go down to Lengwe in the lower Shire valley to the Game Park on Wednesday morning. It was hot and there was not much game to see – the odd warthog and nyala. The water hole hide revealed nothing. Liz decided to drive along the south circular road to entertain the visitors and give them a sense of the big expanse of African savannah. The grass was very high – even on the road it was up to the windscreen - and it was all rather fun; but it was clear that the road was going nowhere and we should turn around. But, alas, just before doing so we got stuck in a ditch of mud. All hands to the deck. Liz covered in mud from top to toe, but no good. Fortunately there is a mobile phone in the car and we ring Malcolm for help. He cleverly organizes help and we get pulled out – with, I have to say, some difficulty. Still it is good to be out and we race for Blantyre as Malcolm has insisted that he plans to take Liz away for a night to rest. (Liz mortified to leave her guests but they seem not to mind.) Alas, just a few hundred feet up the escarpment and the gears refuse to work (?Clutch burned out?) Another phoned plea for help. Again Malcolm comes up trumps. Just as well as Liz is wearing only a filthy petticoat and Philip Clarke is a diabetic and is refusing all bananas offered by L. (Actually Philip was fine throughout) It is all too much. Liz rushes into the house and uses a nail brush all over to try and clean herself, still not sure where Malcolm is taking her. The exhausted Clarkes try not to fall asleep. Malcolm battles unsuccessfully with the email and then appears to grudgingly set off for (? tea estate – it is 5 in the evening, we can’t be going far). He dawdles along the road, with Liz saying, ‘if you want to email from the office, just go’. At which point we find some hitch hikers along the road. It takes L a few seconds to realize that they are Sassy, Moli and Al. (Rosie and Roger are hiding in the car in the petrol station down the road). L is overcome and bursts into tears, so does Sassy and that sets Moli off! But we all pile into the car and are all very happy until Liz reminds Malcolm that if we are going to a tea estate we need to take food. He appears to have forgotten that – never mind, Moli has some porridge, she’ll be OK. We arrive at Lujeri tea estate guest house at 7.30 pm. The idea had been to arrive at about 4pm. Malcolm suggests that we have drinks which we all think an excellent idea. A few minutes later in walks MAT with them. L completely bowled over yet again. Poor Mat had been hiding in the tea bushes for 3 hours, every time a car went by, in case it was us. (He had brought all the food, so Malcolm not as silly as he pretended. Mat had been up the mountain for 2 days so that no one would know he was in the country! Well, that was enough excitement – sadly Sam and Ben not able to come. We spent a lovely day walking to the dam on Lujeri and having a picnic and then playing games in the evening. On Friday we came back to Blantyre and went out to the Hostaria, for what L thought would be a family meal; Rosie and Roger, S, A, M and M. But Malcolm had another surprise in store. He had invited about 60 people, nurses, clinical officers, registrars, church friends, music friends, etc. It was wonderful, especially as the Apostolic choir sang for us and 2 cellists played for us. On Sunday, Sassy, Al and Moli and Mat have to go back home. Malcolm and Liz are sunk in post excitement silence. And I can’t begin to thank everybody and especially Malcolm for a truly memorable week. return to the Malawi page |