From Tanzania Corespondent Lute Wa Lutengano…
My friend Dr. Lemwel Makando was busy doing the rounds in his hospital, the St Thomas in down town Arusha when suddenly he heard unusual sounds of shots and explosions in the street below. He peaked through the window and God forbid, what he saw was a typical war zone scene.
There was total chaos as well armed policemen were shooting and tear gassing multitudes of Arushans on that street who in return were shouting and throwing all types of missiles. And then there were live bullets ricocheting around the streets as tear drenching smoke billowed from the alleys. This was no doubt becoming the saddest day for Arusha.
In no time his hospital was in utter chaos. Some patients jumped from their beds with their drips hanging from their bodies and rushed down and out running in all directions. One man whose wife was about to give birth under Dr Makando’s watch shouted ‘I want my wife! I want my wife!’ Dr Makando was perplexed asking him it was not possible for she was sedated and just about
to give birth. The man insisted on carrying his wife as where she was.
Luckily he did not have enough strength to lift the very pregnant spouse.
It was then that Dr. Makando noticed the neighbouring six storey glass-walled shopping mall structure on fire. It seems some of the lobbed teargas bombs had broken through the windows and torched some of the furniture on sale in there.
This mortified Dr. Makando for if the fire would rage in that structure it was likely that his hospital full of admitted patients would catch fire. And that would be a disaster to behold. His efforts to call the fire station and police were futile.
Without thinking much he found himself rushing out and walking with his hands up towards the police squad who were shooting his direction and onwards to the armoured car, named by its victims as ‘ngunguri’ where he told them of the impending disaster. They should call the fire brigade immediately, he urged them.
The response was immediate. Makando was told to move off the huge boulders laid on the road for the ‘ngunguri’ to drive out. They were too heavy and could only be lifted off with the held of the soldiers.
It was then that he rushed back to his hospital and tried, very much in vain to calm his very hysterical patients. A few minutes later a patient with fresh bullet wounds was brought in for his attention. He did the necessary to control the situation but could not rush the patient to the
regional hospital for further treatment. There were no ambulances and after all, all roads were closed as street fighting was raging.
It was only later that the patient was rushed to the regional hospital using a fire tender which had come to subdue the fire. Dr Makando, now sweating and his eyes welling with the nasty tear gas then entered his surgical theatre and performed a caesarean to that very pregnant lady. A few minutes later there cries of a newly born baby boy were heard.
The new father, who all this time, was pacing up and down the corridor, was invited into the theatre and on seeing his newly born baby, he literally collapsed on the settee with tears profusely rolling down his cheeks. These were teargas tears and tears of joy.
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