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Renowned Dr Austin Mkandawire dies

 

Dr Austin Chuma Mkandawire, one of the country’s renowned medical practitioners and founder of Mumbwe Medical Clinic in Mzuzu, died of stroke on Monday morning at Mzuzu Central Hospital.

Among other achievements, Mkandawire pioneered the establishment of Mumbwe Medical Centre in Mzuzu, one of the biggest private hospitals in the city.

The panel during the discussion in Mzuzu

According to his brother Orison Boma Mkandawire, the deceased was born on August 31 1931 and was the third born son of William Chiswakhata Mkandawire of Chihoro Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikulamayembe in Rumphi District.

“He was a very good, serious and hardworking medical practitioner who opened his private practice, Mumbwe Medical Clinic,” said Boma.

Further information from his nephew, Professor Nyengo Mkandawire, indicates the deceased did his primary school at Livingstonia. He later trained as a medical auxiliary at the then Zomba General Hospital from 1949 to 1951.

“His desire was to become a doctor… He eventually enrolled for medical school in October 1965 at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He graduated in 1971 and returned to Malawi where he joined Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital as hospital superintendent.”

The deceased also worked at Dowa District Hospital and Zomba Central Hospital, among other facilities.

But Mkandawire added that in 1982, the deceased returned to Liverpool in England to study for a diploma in tropical medicine and research in community medicine.

“He was seconded to World Health Organisation in 1982 as director of disease control and has worked in Botswana, Lesotho and Somalia,” he said.

The deceased retired in 1991 and returned to Malawi where he opened Mumbwe Medical Clinic in Mzuzu.  He is survived by four children; David, Sorani, Wezi and Winston—all living in the UK.

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