Uganda: Modelled By Conflict

Why did you choose a career in medicine and in HIV in particular?

It had something to do with one of my teachers. Before S6, my intention was to study PCM at A'Level. But my teacher told me that I should do medicine because I looked very calm.

I decided to fight HIV during my fourth year in medical school because I had lost so many brothers to the disease. I saw over 10 of my siblings and relatives die in my hands so I decided to take that path.

Was there a time when you felt like giving up on medical school?

Most people gave up in first year, but I had a problem when I was in second year. We were given fresh dead bodies to study. Mosquitoes would land on them and suck their blood before landing on us to suck ours as we took down notes. That pissed me off.

Did you ever have to deal with female admirers?

Often. Girls always thought I was handsome - I don't know why. Maybe I attracted them because I had money - I was running one or two successful businesses while at campus. My room had everything, so it was always packed with girls. But I didn't pick any of them for marriage because I wasn't ready to settle with any of them.

Have you ever gone through a life-changing experience?

My life has been a series of turning points. However, the one I consider to have made the biggest impact on my life happened when I was nine months old. I strongly believe that certain things that happen in your childhood can affect you for the rest of your life.

Before I was born, my mother was under pressure from the entire village to abort me because she was only 16 years old. But she refused and fled to my father's family.

My father's elder brother told her that he had seen a vision about the child she was carrying. He told her not to abort the child but to protect the pregnancy at all costs.

When I was finally born, I became a fugitive and have remained one for the rest of my life. I lived in exile for the first eight years of my life. By the time I was nine months, my mother, father and I were forced to flee from Uganda.

Idi Amin had just taken over power and one of his strategies was to witchhunt rich Lango people. My father's family was one of the richest in Lira, which, plus the fact that we were related to Amin's predecessor Apollo Milton Obote, worked against us.

My father was killed before we crossed the border. My mother watched him being beaten and bayoneted to death. She saw him bleeding in the nose and had to decide whether to scream and get caught or remain in hiding and continue to Kenya without a coin, Identity card or passport.

She bore the pain and proceeded to Kenya. There, she was taken in by a good Samaritan who looked after us until I was almost two years when we had to run again, this time to Tanzania, because a search was on for Ugandans in Kenya.

Our good Samaritan had to drive us to the border in the boot of his car.

The fact that I was a fugitive for the first eight years of my life shaped me, affects whatever I do today and affects what I will do tomorrow.

I have been modelled by conflict and persecution, that's why I named my clinic Bethlehem (medical centre).

7 things about Dickson Opul

Back in stone

I was the chairman of Livingstone hall in 1994 when Northcote hall was closed and renamed Nsibirwa. That was a time when there was a lot of ethnicity at campus.

My hall was locked in endless conflict with Northcote, so it was not easy being chairman. But I persevered and I was voted gentleman of the year 1994-1995 by the students.

Dealing with female admirers

Uganda: Modelled By Conflict

AIDS/HIV