Share

Newsmaker: Doctor Dedication

accreditation
Dr Nomlindo Makubalo with her six-year-old son. Picture: Facebook
Dr Nomlindo Makubalo with her six-year-old son. Picture: Facebook

Driven by her passion to save lives, Dr Nomlindo Makubalo goes beyond the call of duty by crisscrossing the Eastern Cape to train healthcare workers on how to improve children’s health and, in so doing, reduce the province’s child mortality rate.

Her motivation is simple: “I cannot sit by and watch people die,” she says.

“When I see that children have died in a certain district, I go there to find out what has happened and offer my services in a bid to prevent more deaths.

“It does not matter whether that district falls under my jurisdiction or not. What is important for me is to save lives.”

Makubalo is a district clinical specialist in paediatrics in Nelson Mandela Bay. Her focus is on reducing maternal and child mortality in the district.

Despite being in charge of paediatric health in the Bay, she often finds herself hard at work in other districts, including OR Tambo – one of the Eastern Cape municipalities battling with maternal and child mortality.

This means she is often away from home, leaving her six-year-old son in the care of his nanny. “It is not easy. I sometimes feel guilty for being away from my child regularly.

“As a result, I have decided not to take work home,” she says.

“But I have a duty as a doctor – and as a mother – to make sure that our children are receiving the best care,” she adds.

However, she admits that despite her decision to separate her professional from her personal life, she cannot resist helping when she receives calls at midnight from doctors and nurses working in far-flung areas of the province, asking for advice. It is such a common occurrence that she jokingly calls her cellphone “a toll-free line”.

“I never put my phone on silent at night because I know that a call can come in at any time. I have given permission to doctors and nurses to call me whenever they come across complicated paediatric cases.”

Recently, she was woken in the middle of the night by a call from a nurse in Jansenville, a town in Sarah Baartman District Municipality.

“She was frantic and did not know what to do with a patient who had given birth prematurely. The baby was in respiratory distress and his glucose was low, meaning the worst could happen if the child did not receive appropriate care.

“I guided her step by step through what she needed to do. I was on the phone with her until that baby was stabilised. I am happy to say that the baby survived.”

It is this kind of dedication to her work that saw Makubalo being honoured with the Rural Doctor of the Year award at this year’s annual Rural Health Conference, held in Grahamstown from August 6 to 9.

The prestigious accolade was unexpected. “I was surprised when my name was called out,” says the dedicated doctor.

“I know the [amount of] work that I put in and the lengths I go to, but my biggest reward has always been the gratitude I receive from healthcare workers and patients after I have assisted them.

“So when they called me to the stage, I was not sure if I heard right. I am humbled and honoured to have received this award,” she says.

“It is not mine alone. It also belongs to many people who work with me to improve rural healthcare services.”

Her nomination was not only based on her dedication, but also on what she has achieved in her province. Some of her successes include advocating the procurement of critical equipment in hospitals, getting beds for high-care wards and successfully advocating for the opening of neonatal units in district hospitals.

Makubalo has also created tracing systems for new mothers who have tested HIV positive to improve early diagnosis and initiation of treatment for their children.

She has trained nurses and doctors on genetics, resulting in the early identification of children with genetic disorders and timely referrals. She went on to open the only clinic in the Eastern Cape specialising in genetics.

Makubalo has seen the hospital from the other side too. She was in and out of intensive care after suffering from an acute allergy to latex.

How does she do all this?

“It is by the grace of God,” is her unassuming reply.

“I could never do this on my own. I rely on my support structure at home and my competent team.”

Do you know of any other dedicated healthcare professionals?

SMS us on 35697 using the keyword DOCTOR. Please include your name and province. SMSes cost R1.50

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
21% - 103 votes
No
79% - 392 votes
Vote