Travel Tips

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Treating a pregnant woman

Dr. W.J. Kumpalotta is a `Traditional Healer`, an `African Doctor`, an `Herbalist` or simply: a `Witch Doctor`. He is a great character and poser who likes to be photographed. With his matted dreadlocks tucked into a turban he is a well consulted Sin`ganga, with one of the best reputations in the country. His patients are coming from all over northern Malawi and Mozambique ask him for his help.

If you have unresolved matters or illnesses in your life... Dr. Kumpalotta might be your solution!

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Patients in his hospital

Dr. Kumpalotta was `insane` until 1973 when his mother died and her spirit went into him. All her knowledge was transferred into him and he was able to start a new life becoming an Herbalist healing sick people.

His methods are ´bloody´ different than the methods in scientific medicine as we are used to them. Dr. Kumpalotta is practicing traditional medicine and knows about the spirits and ghosts. But nevertheless if you need to be treated by a Sin`ganga: `bring a razorblade! Doesn`t matter what you suffer from Sin`gangas like to cut! ` (I was told)

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Dr. Kupalotta with patients

Dr. Kumpolota´s hospital can be visited. He will be happy to show you around if he is not busy with healing patients. Unless you have experience in medicine you need strong ´nerves´!

Don`t go on a late afternoon! When I visited him he needed quite a while to get styled up. He entered the room where the patients and I were waiting and started praying. It was an amazing situation to see him in his white trousers and the turban. About ten times he called me `most welcome` but it was too late to treat the patients. Take some time when you visit him. Although he pretends not to speak English its no problem to talk to him! … and don`t forget to bring some money because you are expected to leave a donation for his chipatala! `I know you have loads of Kwachas in your pockets!` The patients do not have to pay for his healings, so he is depending on what people can afford to donate. Although he is posing he is a serious Herbalist and no tourist attraction!

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To get to Khuyu you need to leave Mbamba towards the `Escom` generator and follow the road to the next Village. Ask somebody to show you the way to the hospital. To enter Dr. Kumpalotta`s chipatala you need to follow some customs and its better to find someone to help you. I.e. you need to bring a cassava stick to a certain place and you are not allowed to touch it with your right hand, remove your shoes etc.