Dr Lopita passionate about women’s health

Dr Micah Lopita at his workplace during the interview. PHOTO BY SAM CALEB OPIO.

What you need to know:

  • AVID. Dr Micah Lopita is a consultant obstetric and gynaecologist, a staunch Catholic, soft spoken but trusted by patients.
  • He had a chad with SAM CALEB OPIO about his work.

Briefly tell us about yourself.
I’m Dr Micah Lopita, 67, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. I ‘m married and we have two children. My father was a herbalist a trait he perhaps passed onto me because when I was in primary school I was inspired to pick and perfect his practice. My peers nicknamed me Medical Inspector. I worked at Kamuli Mission Hospital for 33 years until I opted for private medical business.

How did you serve for this long and build a following of clients especially women?
Simple, try to find out what the patient presents, treat the condition, build client confidence and trust everybody and consult with other health service providers to whom you can refer the patients.
The other attribute which I learnt from my father who was a herbalist and the Catholic upbringing is discipline, honesty, patience and humility. Always relate with the patients, give them hope, love and care.

What is your experience dealing with women?
As a gynaecologist, I handle most of the women issues, understood them and almost turned into a counsellor regarding of their health problems.

What common problems do they suffer from?
Infertility mostly because of blocked fallopian tubes, pelvic infections and abnormal menstrual periods [especially heavy bleeding], dysmenorrhea [painful periods] and hormonal imbalance, which have a bearing on sexually transmitted infections.

Some medical workers engage in helping girls abort, as a consultant have you been approached?
A life is a life which one has no right to remove though allowed in critical condition to save the mother.
On personal conviction, I do not carry out abortions because it is not different from murder of the unborn and as a Catholic and groomed person I do not engage in the risky act.

So, no one has ever come to you with such a case?
Not really, one day a respectable woman came pleading to me for safe abortion. But, I asked her; if robbers put her on gunpoint to kill her she would do? She replied that she would plead for her life at all costs. So I counselled her that the unborn foetus is also doing the same [ pleading for life] in her womb. Four years ago she came with her son who now works for a reputable organisation and told him of how I saved his life. I remember her saying, “he saved your life and you owe him blessings.”

How did you react?
I started and shook hands with the young man. I felt honoured and a case of God’s love made manifest.

What are your best and worst experiences work?
I thank God that in more than 40 years as a medical practitioner, I have only lost one patient. A woman came with ruptured uterus and had heavy bleeding but we did not have blood in store. We managed to remove the foetus but the mother later succumbed.
The most memorable operation was one where the patient was brought to theatre with intestinal obstruction but on opening I found she had cancer of the ovaries. It was a big test and we managed to remove the affected ovary, uterus and took histology which indicated cancer and she was put on medication then she lasted more 20 years.

What counsel do you give the young doctors in the field?
These young people need to gain experience and exposure to modern equipment. They are frustrated with low pay, unemployment and training. They are also not properly mentored and given practical experience while in medical school, pay for internship. And now, the holiday hospital placement has been scrapped off.

Are you running any projects?
Yes, I have taken on cervical cancer screening as a thank you to my clients. I have also opened Modern Family Nursing Clinic in Kamuli to offer the most standard health facilities and convenience.

Any words of wisdom?
The best you can give back to the community is to serve them right. Know your people, fit into the community; while in Busoga conduct yourself as Basoga. Always trust in God and remember every situation is a learning one.
To the public I encourage them to go for regular health check-ups.

In my free time...
•I consult, read, and update myself with modern and latest disease burdens on the internet.
•I also chat to my first patient in Kamuli now my confidant and best friend Dr David Kazungu.
•I also have a passion for agriculture and children though I didn’t specialise in paediatrics