As part of its silver jubilee celebration, the University of Malawi’s College of Medicine (CoM) yesterday held a memorial service and tombstone unveiling ceremony for the late Professor John Chiphangwi, who played a leading role in the establishment of the medical school.
The service marked the beginning of a week-long anniversary celebration themed Excellence Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow which ends next Saturday.
Speaking during the service, which took place at Chonde Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mthiramanja in Mulanje, Registrar of the University of Malawi (Unima) Benedicto Malunga urged the medical fraternity and the general public to emulate Chiphangwi’s professionalism, hardwork, patriotism.
He said: “He managed to convince then President Kamuzu Banda on the need for Malawi to have its own medical college although the president had some reservations on the quality of graduates the college would produce.
“There was a time he was the only obstetrician and gynaecologist at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and he never went on holiday for five years. He turned down many international jobs to serve his country,” he said.
CoM principal Dr Mwapatsa Mipando said the college stands to continue promoting values of excellence as per its foundation.
Group Village Head (GVH) Chonde commended the college for respecting the late Chiphangwi who they also regarded as one of the great sons of the village.
Born on December 17 1936, Chiphangwi did his studies at Henry Henderson Institute (HHI) in Blantyre and Dedza Secondary School before proceeding to Aberdeen University, Makerere University in Uganda and London University for medical studies.
He died on October 29 in 2002.
