Settling in

Arriving in Uganda and spending a few days in Entebbe and Kampala for familiarisation, I was posted to Tororo Hospital. Stayed in Rock Hotel for more than a week, and then I was allotted a house. What I realized that things were moving at a normal pace without pushing or putting any pressure. That gave a very good feeling and great satisfaction and settling in a new country seemed smooth affair. Dr. N.D. Gosavi, Medical Superintendent and District Medical Officer was so considerate and went out of the way to make me comfortable. I remember him and the family very fondly. I happened to meet him again in Pune, India in 1998, after 27 years!

It so happened that just after 3 months I was transferred to Kapchorwa Hospital, located at a height of over 5,000 feet above sea level. The place was fairly cool, with some negative points. There was no electricity. Vegetables were to be procured from Mbale about 35 miles away downhill. Land-Rover trips to Mbale were made twice or thrice a month when the patients were taken for X-Ray examination or for referral to a specialist. (Little did I realise at that stage stage, that the Land-Rover would get bought by an Indian company, Tatas!) There was no bank. The post office was functioning, mail being transported by a Toyota vehicle to and from Mbale.  Once the vehicle broke down and there was no mail for a number of days. I was anxious to receive my snail mail in time, for that was the only means of communication those days. I offered to collect and deliver the mail from and to Mbale and informed the District Commissioner about it and also requested for the co-operation of other Departments. That eased our postal problems in 1970 to some extent.

I received a summons to attend a court in Tororo on 26 January, 1971. As I was getting ready to leave on 25 January, I was advised not to proceed for that as there was some trouble in Kampala and a journey may not be all that safe. Accordingly I informed the local police to radio the message to Tororo which they did. Later on situation crystalized more as coup had been staged and military had captured power under Idi Amin. President Obote was in Singapore attending a Commonwealth Conference and he was toppled. Amin, now the President of Uganda embarked on visiting districts explaining his reasons for staging the coup. He visited Kapchorwa too, and people were apparently 'happy' as there was an euphoria at that juncture. All heads of various Departments were there to welcome Amin and listen to his talk whatever he had to say in that connection. At that very time in that particular mood he did not seem to be a ferocious person as he turned out to be at a later stage. Simple folk, usually poor peasants  and middle aged and old ladies were there and offering him gifts in the form of eggs, chicken, goats, cows and bulls etc.in their taditional manner. I remember very vividly it gave a real emotional touch to his visit.It did not take long for people to notice what he was up to. 

That was my introduction to Africa!