AS South Africa commemorates Women’s Month this August, the Highway Mail brings you inspirational women from the Highway area. Women’s Month is a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, to protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. Prepare to be wowed with some inspirational stories from empowering women who want nothing more than to empower and uplift the communities they are surrounded by.
Forensic pathologist, Dr Nonhlanhla Shamase says, “Forensic pathology work is very rewarding as it serves the cause of justice.”
How it started
She was first introduced to the field at medical school.
“After each lesson, I would be left thinking about the cases I had seen and wonder why and how an individual had died. I was fascinated by the amount of information that a body held after death,” she says.
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Shamase feels her work makes a difference.
“The information gathered from the autopsy is invaluable. The findings made during the examination of the deceased are used in court so the perpetrator can be held accountable and the innocent can be exonerated. Families have so many questions surrounding the deaths of their loved ones, and as a forensic pathologist, you can provide clarity and closure when it comes to the cause of death,” she says.
What type of cases require an autopsy?
At the Pinetown Medico-Legal Mortuary in New Germany, where Shamase is located, only unnatural deaths are investigated.
“We see cases that don’t result from a natural disease process – deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents, stabbings, gunshots, assault, hanging, falls, poisoning or even those occurring during or following a surgical procedure or anesthetic deaths. We also see cases of deaths that are sudden, unexpected and unexplained, and deaths from withholding care, such as child neglect or elder abuse. These need to be investigated,” she says.
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According to the young pathologist, the most difficult aspect of her work is dealing with violence cases.
“Grappling with the number of deaths resulting from interpersonal violence, specifically the high number of deaths from gunshots, is difficult. Additionally, the deaths of children, young men and women, and the rise in suicides is a challenge, too. These concern me, and I hope for more intervention to prevent these deaths,” she says.
What is a forensic pathologist’s daily routine?
“We start the day with autopsies – going through the files, hospital records, or contacting the police and doctors to get more information about the circumstances of death. The autopsy includes examining the body and taking necessary specimens for testing such as blood alcohol, toxicology, DNA, and histology,” says Shamase. Histology, one of the tools at the pathologist’s disposal, is the study of microscopic anatomy, requiring the use of a microscope.
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The rest of the day involves report writing, checking histology, following up on outstanding lab results or court appearances to give testimony. The pathologist adds that teaching responsibilities and training of junior doctors and registrars are also part of her duties.
What are the challenges?
Shamase says, “The lack of understanding from the community about why it is necessary for an autopsy to be performed, and that it is a legal requirement; misconceptions regarding the work we do, like retention of organs; the lack of resources and the time it takes to get certain results back, like toxicology and DNA results. These may take years or months for various reasons, including the backlog and high workload in the testing laboratories.”
Dr Shamase’s thoughts on the role of women in her field?
“There is a shortage of women in the sciences and especially in the forensic pathology (FP) field. I was one of the first African women to join the field in KZN. Recently, there has been an improvement in the number of women joining the sciences, but there is still room for growth. These jobs have previously been thought to be unsuitable for women, and along with the cultural misconceptions about the dead and women’s roles in general, it makes women shy away from this work. Women have much to offer in the field as they are dynamic and have unique experiences, different from their male counterparts and are thus able to offer different perspectives on many aspects of their cases. They can do any job that they want to and that they are passionate about. We are grateful to all the women who paved the way for us and were bold and brave enough to venture forth and pursue male-dominated fields.”
