KZN’s Health Workforce Strengthened by Four New Surgeons

KZN’s Health Workforce Strengthened by Four New Surgeons

Four new surgeons have graduated from UKZN with Masters of Medicine in Surgery. They are Drs Qedusizi Goodwill Dube, Mark Lubo Kashasha, Tende Makofane and Sayuri Naidu.

Dr Boitumelo Phakathi, Head of General Surgery said, ‘As the Discipline of General Surgery, we are very proud of our graduates and we officially welcome them to the body of Masters in General Surgery across the country and the world at large. We understand it was not an easy journey, but we are here to witness and celebrate the rewards and fruits of their perseverance, hard work and determination to cross the MMed finishing line. 

‘Congratulations to all of them. We trust that this is not the end of their research journey but rather a building block towards many research projects they will undertake either as principal investigators towards their PhD degrees or supervisors of undergraduate and MMED research projects. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.’ 

Kashasha became interested in surgery after a relative underwent a transmastoid inner ear abscess drainage. Despite several challenges due to political instability, war and the need to move from one province to another in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), he never gave up on his dream. Disheartened by the assassination of DRC President Laurent Kabila, Kashasha moved to South Africa in 2001 to train as a specialist. He is the first medical specialist in his family of engineers. 

Kashasha’s study recommends the aspiration technique as the first line treatment for breast non-lactating abscesses as opposed to incision and drainage which is costly and causes unsightly scarring. The aspiration technique involves a thin needle being inserted into an area of abnormal-appearing tissue or body fluid.

Naidu, who grew up in the township of Shallcross south of Durban, completed Grade 12 at Wingen Heights Secondary. Her parents made many sacrifices to fund her undergraduate education and that of her siblings.

Naidu was inspired to pursue a career in Medicine by her grandmother who was a seamstress. She is currently serving as a consultant in the Pietermaritzburg Hospital Complex, working in a unit that is in her area of interest, foregut pathology. Naidu commented, ‘I am a true alumnus of this University having completed both my undergraduate and postgraduate training at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine. I have been inspired by many great surgeons such as Professor B Singh, Mr A A Gounden and Mr D Maharaj, who taught me to think out of the box.’ 

Naidu’s study was entitled, Routine Blood Draws in a Trauma Intensive Care Unit – Are We Doing Too Many and Do We Act on the Results? The observational study described the relationship between abnormal blood investigation, results and action taken and was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. It demonstrated that routine blood investigations in the ICU setting are redundant, with clinically directed investigations offering more benefits than a blanket routine approach. 

Words: MaryAnn Francis

Photographs: Sethu Dlamini and Supplied