Young surgeons grab unique opportunity

THREE young surgeons at Ngwelezana Hospital successfully completed their training and passed their Surgery Primary examinations through the Fellowship of the College of Medicine of South Africa.

Under the guidance of surgery consultant, Dr Shailen Sham, all three candidates passed at their first attempt attaining a 100% pass rate.

‘Dr Sham gave up his personal time, holding weekly tutorials at his home in Empangeni for the young surgeons.

Ngwelezana hospital’s surgery department is too busy to hold lectures during working hours as the hospital is a tertiary institution catering for three district municipalities.

This degree of dedication from Dr Sham is mostly unheard of in other hospitals in SA where young surgeons are only considered for surgery jobs after they have already passed their Surgery Primaries,’ said Ngwelezana Public Relations Officer Thobile Hadebe.

However, research is still being encouraged and supported.

Acting head of the surgery department, Dr Mahesh Naidoo said there had only been time to submit three abstracts this year to the annual prestigious Surgery Research Symposium.

The symposium will take place at the end of this month in Durban.

‘Research opportunity, the Primaries examination preparation programme and the opportunity to learn surgical skills is what I hope will attract young surgeons to work at Ngwelezana.

Doctors are very reluctant to work in rural hospitals like Ngwelezana, we have to make it worthwhile before doctors will venture out of the big cities,’ said Dr Naidoo.

‘Ngwelezana Hospital is expanding rapidly, with new wards and departments being planned, built and completed. During the next five years, the hospital’s infrastructure will be well improved,’ said Hadebe.