A STRANGER who pitched up at a village claiming to be a
doctor has left a trail of destruction in his wake.
According to Nyasa
Times, last month Clifford Chimtengo arrived at Joshua Village in Ntchisi,
central Malawi claiming to be a medical doctor and promising to heal ailing
villagers.
Unsuspecting elders lined up to accept drugs and
injections from him, paying him as much as K1 500 (about R28).
But in the middle of the night, four of the seven who had
gone to Chimtengo and swallowed his prescribed drugs or injections had to be
rushed to a hospital about 10km away from the village.
Tragically Liviness Kapolo (81) died in hospital the
following day.
The three other, Liviness’ brother Bizaliele Kapolo (70);
his wife Elise Kapolo (63) and Yohane Chipokosa (66) survived.
Elise said: “It was my first time to see the man in this
village. He introduced himself as a medical doctor who used to work at Queen
Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre before he retired.
“Later I went to sleep and cannot remember what happened
later. I only realised I was on a hospital bed when I was put on an oxygen
machine and an intravenous drip.”
Local doctor Zondwayo Ng’oma said Chimtengo had given his
victims insulin injections, used to treat diabetic patients. This can be lethal
in a healthy person.
He also dished out a pain killer and an antibiotic used
for kids.
Cops have since arrested Chimtengo and charged him with
murder, recovering drugs and medical equipment from his house in Mawalu
village, about 300km away.
He admitted that he is not a trained doctor.