Why Did I Become A Doctor South Africa

The Doctor Who Defends Doctors | Dr Ninakhulu Ntsanwisi

Dr Yash Naidoo Season 1 Episode 45

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Dr Ninakhulu Ntsanwisi is a medical doctor and admitted attorney who now runs her own consultancy in the medico-legal space, helping doctors and healthcare facilities identify and mitigate risk before it turns into litigation.

Her journey is unlike any we've featured. The daughter of a traditional chief and granddaughter of a former homeland chief minister, she grew up in Limpopo — technically a princess, though you'd never hear it from her — before heading to UCT to study medicine. As a junior doctor in the public sector, she found herself at 2 a.m. forced to choose which of two mothers went to theatre first, performing a Caesarean section she says she wasn't yet qualified to do, because the senior on call refused to come in. Experiences like these, she says, planted the seed: the system itself needed fixing, not just the patient in front of her.

So she did something almost no one does — she studied for her LLB at Wits full-time while working weekends, public holidays and school holidays in emergency departments to pay her fees. She went on to practise at Adams & Adams on the plaintiff side, then crossed over to defend doctors at Webber Wentzel, before heading up legal at a medical indemnity brokerage and ultimately starting her own consultancy.

Along the way, she unpacks what doctors get wrong about the HPCSA, why she believes most patients sue for answers and accountability rather than money, why specialists get sued more often than GPs, and why, in her view, communication remains the single best protection a clinician has. She also shares her own venture into podcasting with The Legal Clinic, her show educating doctors on the legal side of practice.

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily represent those of the podcast or hosts and do not constitute professional advice. Always consult with qualified professionals for medical, financial, or career decisions.

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