N Rasmeni on rural doctor of the year

23 November 2006

Dr Vanga Siwisa received the prestigious Pierre Jacques Rural Doctor of the
Year award at a gala dinner in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, on 10 August 2006. The
award was presented to him jointly by the Rural Doctors Association of South
Africa (RuDASA) and the South African Academy of Family Practice.

Dr Siwisa was recognised for starting the antiretroviral (ARV) rollout
programme in Taung. In less than two years, Dr Siwisa and his team had signed
up 2 876 patients for the programme, nearly 2 000 of whom are already receiving
treatment.

He is dismissive of the sacrifices he had to make. It was tough for someone
who was a world citizen and had his own private practice in Randfontein to be
living in Taung. There are currently two doctors, but before, Dr Siwisa was the
only medical practitioner guiding the ARV team.

Dr Siwisa is a product of Lovedale College in the Eastern Cape, and he went
into exile in 1963, first to Lesotho, then to Botswana. He was then in that
period allowed an entrance into the medical school in Lagos and practised
there.

“The entire Department will continue to be supportive of Dr Siwisa's
initiatives and will continue to call on all our health professionals, in
particular doctors, to know that you can succeed even in rural areas like
Taung,” explained MEC Nomonde Rasmeni.

Dr Siwisa gave up his private practice and left for the deep rural heartland
of Taung. His first impression of Taung was that it was a “Burundi of South
Africa".

The North West province already has a clinic operating in the Bophirima
region. Mrs Pelonomi Tsimanyane is the current project manager. In October
2004, Dr Vanga Siwisa assisted in creating the infrastructure and preparation
for accreditation.

In November 2004 they were accredited and the work could start. By now they
have nearly 2 000 patients on the rollout programme. Some of their patients are
children. Once a month someone from Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital visits
Taung to monitor the children and to assist the team. Dr Siwisa describes the
Reproductive Health Research Unit from Wits “as their mentor from the
beginning”; they do a support visit at least once a month.

“Taung is to me like any rural place of this province, were you encounter
some problems such as lack of the so-called “model schools”, but what keeps me
going is the love for patients and I really appreciate the support we receive
from the department," explained Dr Siwisa.

“The Department recognises and values the huge contribution Dr Siwisa has
made, we need people of Dr Siwisa calibre, people who are committed to serve
our community with pride, being particularly in our rural areas. Currently the
department has just received a bunch of doctors from Iran. Two of these doctors
are stationed at the Taung Hospital to help continue providing health service
to our communities in these remote areas since our province is 75% rural. I
think with such recognition we will see more applications from health
professionals wanting to work in this areas since we have been experiencing
serious challenges of recruiting and retention, though we have good incentives
for our health professionals working in rural areas and high quality
accommodation,” concluded MEC Nomonde Rasmeni.

Enquiries:
Zakes Molala
Tel: (018) 3875830
Fax: (018) 3875830
E-mail: lmolala@nwpg.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Health, North West Provincial Government
23 November 2006
Source: North West Department of Health (http://www.nwhealth.gov.za)