By Dr Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga, Former Registrar, College of Medicine
The curtains have fallen—forever drawn.
The clinical stage now stands in solemn silence.
The colossus rests, eyes gently closed,
Never again to behold the children he so dearly healed.
Anxious mothers will remember—always—
Those tender, life-giving hands
That wrested their fragile infants
From the jaws of relentless tropical disease.
What seemed elusive to many
Was made conquerable in the hands
Of one who embodied Paediatrics—
Robin Broadhead,
The soft-spoken clinician.
A selfless Professor,
Who chose Malawi not for comfort,
But for purpose—
Serving with unwavering devotion,
Pouring his life into the nurturing
Of a fledgling Medical School,
Tall in ambition,
Grounded firmly in community health—its lifeblood.
A mentor to doctors yet unformed,
A researcher of rare insight,
Guiding his intellect with precision and vision;
A humble manager who understood
The quiet power of networks
To transform institutions.
A builder of teams,
A man anchored in cause—
He helped lay the foundation
Of a university’s enduring future,
Alongside the late Professor John Chiphangwi
And fellow pioneers
Whose clinical departments now pulse with life.
From them arise new Malawian stars,
Forging a radiant galaxy for KUHES—
Their brilliance turning even skeptics into believers.
What was once doubted
Now stands resilient—
A defiant cactus, thriving
Through the harshest trials,
Its strength rooted in research,
Its lifeblood in clinical excellence.
He was also an artist—
A painter of jacaranda blooms
And Malawi’s arresting landscapes;
A man whose knowledge flowed generously,
Whose experience ran deep as the sea,
Shared with gentleness
And a quietly infectious humour—
Warm, human, unforgettable.
He will be mourned by multitudes—
Lives touched, hearts healed.
They knew him as Chimutu,
The doctor whose presence arrived
In a familiar pickup truck,
Journeying faithfully
To rural Muona Hospital in Nsanje.
May his noble soul find eternal rest,
Having given his all to Malawi.
He leaves behind a legacy—
A doctor for all seasons,
An enduring example
Of selflessness in service
To a calling most noble.
For the path of this profession
Is often steep and unforgiving,
Yet he walked it with grace—
With dedication unshaken,
With commitment unyielding.
And so his life remains a light—
To be admired,
To be emulated,
By all who dare to serve beyond themselves.