By Pezzy Kudakwashe (USA)
A top British medical doctor with ties to Zambia, who played an important role in treating numerous COVID patients during the pandemic, was honored with the prestigious MBE award by the Queen.
Dr. John Alexander, a graduate of Hillcrest Technical Secondary School and the University of Zambia respectively, was this year recognized in Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honors list for his contribution to the NHS in the United Kingdom. He was among dozens of UK’s National Health Services(NHS) sta nationally recognized for their work and achievements.
Dr. Alexander, 64, is a consultant in pediatric intensive care at Sta Yorkshire children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke.
A 1974 high school graduate of Hillcrest in Livingstone and UNZA,Lusaka Zambia, was awarded the Member of the British Empire(MBE) for his contributions.
He is a leading pediatrician from University Hospitals of North Midlands in the United Kingdom.
In his schooling days in Zambia, Dr. Alexander was an outstanding student at the Hillcrest Technical Secondary School from 1970 to 1974. After completing his “O” Levels he was accepted into the Medicine degree program at UNZA in 1975.
He was awarded the notable BEIT scholarship for advanced studies upon completing his medical training at UNZA in 1982.
Dr. Alexander acknowledges the academic foundation he received at Hillcrest in Livingstone, especially in sciences, and says it prepared him for medical school and beyond.
Dr. Alexander’s award was brought to light through a communique by Robert William, President of the Association of Hillcrest Alumni USA(AHA-USA). Mr. William now based in the USA knew Dr. Alexander as his senior and a model student.
He stated that the MBE awarded to Dr. Alexander is a testimony to the high standard of education that Zambia o ers to its students. Dr. Alexander’s connections with Hillcrest Technical Secondary School go much deeper than his role as a student.
His parents were both teachers at the school from 1970 to1982. His late father, Mr. C. John Alexander taught Physics for students in grades 11 and 12 while his mother, Mrs. Aleyamma Alexander taught Chemistry for students in grades 10 and 11.
He has two younger brothers, Mr. Jacob Alexander (Canada) and Dr. Thomas Alexander (USA), who are also graduates of Hillcrest. Mr. Jacob Alexander graduated from Hillcrest in 1977 and Dr Thomas Alexander
graduated in 1981. The family has roots in Trivandrum, Kerala State, South India.
Congratulations Dr. Alexander.
I was a year behind you. One of those guys who came from David Kaunda Technical and started in grade 11 at Hillcrest.
this is when Zambia was at its best in education. the question begs the answer will our children get back this high standards of education from lower levels.
Congratulations Dr Alexander, you make all of us graduants of Hillcrest secondary School proud. You paved the way for us who graduated from the school in the ’90s.
Stop claiming people. The man ain’t Zambian and never will. Let us learn to celebrate our own doctors here in Zambia who sacrificed a lot during covid. You will soon hear hh saying he is going to award this man. Because hh is a kunta kinte msungu anikonde type
The big question is where was he born!!!!
Proud to have been from the same school. Those of you who never went to Hillcrest will never understand. The Hillcrest of the 70,80s could compare with any top school any where in the world. We got the best education and went to achieve great things
Iwe Kaizer Zulu
He’s carrying the Zambian flag in his system just like you are carrying Chaka Zulu’s flag in your system ?
We give them free gradates, free minerals and free, free, free, free almost everything free but they give us Kaloba which we cannot afford to pay back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Zambia the real Africa…………..
Alumnity not nationality is what puts academic institutions on the map, regardless of a person’s nationality. There are many UNZA graduates who were not Zambian just as there are many Harvard graduates who are not American who excel in their fields and reflect positively on the university. This is what will encourage future students to choose a particular institution.
#Kaizer Zulu
Kaizer Zulu , you are a pan-Africanist. However, you are typically tribal. What exactly do you want to become? My advice is that you must critic your innermost personalities. In this regard, you will find real peace within the “self”. I am not a politician and I do not intend to become one. I am happy because I persuaded myself not to hate another. Depart from an unbiased school of thought and contribute to everyone else. I have been reading your posts which you stated submitting immediately post Zambia’ s previous elections. I read in-between the lines and your comments reveal a trapped innermost persona, which is somewhat struggling to both exist independently and also exit from your dominant being. Learn to love all Zambian tribes, particularly, the Tongas…
So most of you blogging here are bored useless old men..atase. No wonder Zambia is underdeveloped, old people behaving like kids insulting each other as trolls instead of providing guidance.
why do Africans think of whites as being very superior,,,..anything done by Muzungu you African rolling on ground celebrating…..Master buys house…slave celebrates…master gets sick…slave says he is sick also….Masters house is on fire…slave runs in to put out the fire risking his own life…..HH
I am also a proud graduate of Hillcrest. From form one to three no trousers but shorts then. You had to earn the trousers by qualifying to form four. I was there from 1978 to 1982 before proceeding to UNZA. Scoring 95% in Additional mathematics you were nowhere. Average was was 98% . That is how we were being trained at Hilltech as we called it then
Saulosi – you don’t read very well, this guy has Indian background not white, read last paragraph of story, as you are just bias against whites you should be more worried about the China men they are our new masters- beware of them.
Kaizer Zulu is right here, Why should something be news because some queen in Europe has put it on her table. Cant we learn to identify our own heroes? Look at how the story is covered. This scientist was recognised ” by the Queen” as if there is only one queen in the world and all of us African readers should know her. The queen mwebantu? 60 years after colonisation and we are being forced to know the queen. Yet we dont know a queen called Nkomeshya
Kaizer Zulu is right here, Why should something be news because some queen in Europe has put it on her table? Cant we learn to identify our own heroes? Look at how the story is covered by colonialised LT. This scientist was recognised ” by the Queen” as if there is only one queen in the world and all of us African readers should know her. The queen mwebantu? 60 years after colonisation and we are being forced to know the queen. Yet we dont know a queen called Nkomeshya