HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
“SO IF THEY WANT TO
TREAT OUR PEOPLE, LET THEM TREAT MY DONKEY FIRST”
(Chief Chongoma –1939).
Ilula Lutheran Health Centre was inaugurated in 1992
February, 16th by the former Minister for Health, Professor Philemon
Sarungi. Following a major rehabilitation of the old dispensary to a level of a
health centre.
The introduction of the health post in Ilula was a result
of missionary works back in 1938. The first missionaries arrived in Isele
village from Singida district in the then Central Province. With them there was
a Nurse attendant. They erected a tent near the church grounds and established
a health post. Unfortunately the residents (mostly pagans by then) under the
influence of their Chief, Chongoma refused to utilise the services either in
fear of, or mistrust of the modern medicines despite missionary efforts to
convince them to come for free treatments.
A period of time elapsed, and the nurse was loosing hope
that she can’t reach the poor people for health services, but GOD is great! One
day the chief’s donkey got a big abscess on a leg which enabled it to work
(Taking into mind that donkeys by then were the main transports in the
community) The chief remembered that there are Europeans in his territory who
claim to be able to treat people. He then said to his people, “If these whites
claim to have powers to treat my people, let them treat my donkey first”. He
took the donkey to the tent, and ordered the nurse to treat his donkey.
With hesitation, fear and misbelieve, the nurse attended
the donkey. She opened the abscess, drained the pus, and packed the wound with
some medicine, and advised the chief to bring his donkey for daily dressing the
following days. After some few days the donkey completely recovered. You can
guess what followed. Chief Chongoma convened a public meeting and ordered his
people to go for treatment at the tent for all their health problems. (JESUS
work) People flocked the tent, got treated, most of them got cured and many
more came. The missionaries and newly converted Christians in Isele decided to
build a bigger Health unity, They constructed a small muddy hut near the
church, and this was the first health post in the area. The post was then not
sufficient for the increasing number of patients as result a small dispensary
was constructed in the area where today stands a Health centre that will soon
be upgraded to a full Hospital.
The first African to work as a dispensary attendant in
Ilula was Mzee Lutangilo Sakafu. He was recruited as dresser following the
increasing workload in the health post, and to work as an interpreter, since
most of the people in those days only used their native language to communicate
whereas missionaries spoke their Swedish language.