Cardinal Pengo’s health getting ‘worse’

Dar es Salaam. The condition of the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, who in January was hospitalised at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, has deteriorated, the cleric revealed yesterday.

Addressing a mass at the Mbagala Spiritual Centre in the Mbagala Parish, the visibly frail cleric said he had decided to seek further treatment in India.

He told the congregation that he would be leaving the country on October 23 this year.

“I have come here to extend my gratitude for what you are doing. I still beg you to continue praying for me so that God can restore my health,” he said, citing “advanced age” as the reason for his health complications.

In January, he was rushed to the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI). On discharging him, the director of the Institute, Prof Mohamed Janabi, said the Cardinal Pengo had been treated successfully.

And yesterday, the Archbishop struggled as he presided over the mass and a fundraising event held afterwards to raise money for the Mbagala Spiritual Centre.

From the beginning, it was clear that Cardinal Pengo’s health was failing him, which forced some Parish leaders to block congregants who wanted to be blessed by the cleric.

But that did not stop him from cracking a joke with the congregants, assuring them he would get back on his feet again after treatment and take part in running contests.

“It is not only illness, age is also creeping in and affecting my health. But there are people older than me who can still run fast,” he said, “I want to make sure I get treated so that one day I can compete with them.”

In announcing his India trip, Cardinal Pengo also had a few moments to pause and crack up his audience.

More than Sh142 million was collected during the event. The Sister-in Charge, St Coletha Paulo, told The Citizen that the centre has more than 100 girl students undergoing spiritual teachings, as well as medicine, teaching and accounting courses. It was the Sister who did much of the talking while Cardinal Pengo’s movements were limited.

From 9am when the event started, the man of the cloth was assisted by a number of priests and nuns from various Dar es Salaam parishes.

He did not talk much.

During the event, priests closely monitored him as he left the grounds. He had to be driven to the centre which is nearby.

His aides also declined requests for interviews with Cardinal Pengo. They said he was “tired and needs to rest”.

The nation was sent into panic as news of his hospitalisation spread in January.

Health minister Ummy Mwalimu and the minstry’s permanent secretary, Dr Mpoki Ulisubisya, visited the ailing Archbishop at Muhimbili National Hospital.

Cardinal Pengo commended the institute’s medical experts saying they helped him change perceptions he had about the public hospital.

“I came here in a very poor condition. I thank the medical experts who looked after me,” Cardinal Pengo told a news conference after recuperating.

“I was among those who held prejudices about Muhimbili National Hospital after getting information from other people,” he noted. “But after being hospitalised here I got the opportunity to learn that there are good services.”

Ms Mwalimu said remarks by Cardinal Pengo would inspired the government to invest more in the institute to enable the majority of Tanzanians to access cardiac services within the country instead of travelling abroad.

She said since the institute was established the government had saved about Sh5 billion that could have been spent on medical bills for Tanzanians seeking treatment abroad.