Durban’s Dr Sidali successfully navigates uncharted territory
Lindiwe Sidali is SA's first black female cardiothoracic surgeon.
DR LINDIWE Sidali has broken barriers by becoming the country’ s first African female cardiothoracic surgeon and one of only a few on the continent.
Besides performing ‘miracles’ at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, where she received her training in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sidali loves writing romance fiction stories.
“I became aware that I was an African female in a speciality that is famously known for being male dominated. I learnt to embrace who I am and what I represent. It’s been challenging but it’s also been a great adventure, and I could not have done it without the support of the amazing people that I had by my side. I was encouraged by my family and my teachers. Between 2000- 2001, I decided to volunteer at a Wonderkop clinic to see if I would like it,”
“The nurses were wonderful in encouraging me to pursue medicine. That’s how I actually heard about the Cuban scholarship programme, so I applied and got accepted. But what has kept my interest and made me stay in medicine is the desire to serve my people, to want to help people and also to give back not only by treating patients but to be a positive role model for every African child,” said the 35 year old doctor.
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When quizzed why it has taken this long for the country to have its first African female cardiothoracic surgeon, Sidali said the question was a difficult one to answer without sparking debate in other areas. “I suppose it’s the same reason we still have not had a female president. Those same barriers need to be broken.”
“It’s only when people see that one female can do it that they can give a chance to other females. It is an uncharted territory for females, particularly African females because they are hardly ever given a chance. In my opinion, when women are given the same position as men, they are tested to a point of failure, where all intuitive directions will point one to believe that they cannot do it. So the odds for African women are systematically, probably unintentionally, designed to drive us to not fight for more or to quit,” she said.
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