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Spotlight - Summer 2004
edited by Maggie and Pippa Currey
In Memoriam: Nicholas Hone FRCP
remembered by James Cairns FRCS OBE OGDS
I first met his father, Sir Evelyn Hone, in 1963, when as the last
governor of Northern Rhodesia he visited St Francis’ Hospital,
Katete, to open new buildings at the School of Nursing. Nick came
to Katete during the last year of his medical training for a six-week
elective in December 1972. He made a deep impression on our small
group of doctors and qualified nurses, because of his extensive
medical knowledge, dedication to work and concern for patients.
His appearance with flowing hair was unorthodox, his dry sense of
humour engaging.
We were delighted when he offered to return as a medical officer,
arriving in November 1974 and taking special responsibility in general
medicine, paediatrics and as senior anaesthetist. In addition to
general duties, he shouldered more than his fair share of them,
including emergency obstetrics and surgery, elective surgery and
Out Patients. He studied constantly and open medical books littered
the floor of his house.
Nick was much sought after by young Zambian and British nurses and
made lasting friendships, but nothing more, perhaps because his
long-standing ankylosing spondylitis (brain tumour) caused him considerable
pain and stiffness, often with eye complications. Despite these
he was a capable and amusing public speaker and the first choice
of the nurses for graduation ceremonies and at the Christmas dinner.
And nothing prevented him from giving of his best in a demanding
situation that included a heavy nocturnal workload.
He served at Katete for three tours, leaving in July 1985 - a total
of 11 years - and spent much of his leaves in Britain doing hospital
locums and specialising in renal medicine, cardiology, neurology,
paediatrics and ENT. He passed both parts of the MRCP and the DTM&H
during his first leave in 1978 and was elected FRCP in 1994. He
could have become a professor in any medical speciality, but chose
instead to give his life to the under-privileged.
During his time at Katete, Nick Hone was called to State House in
Lusaka by President Kaunda, to receive the equivalent of a Zambian
knighthood on behalf of his father. With a workload that prevented
him from visiting a shoe shop, he attended in gym shoes with his
hair in its characteristic style, and deserving of the same honour
as that accorded to Sir Evelyn Hone.
Nick died of a brain tumour, aged 54
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