Despite the fact that his funeral took place within 24 hours as
his religion requires, Prof Saidi will be mourned for a very long time.
I met Prof Saidi after I completed medical school, while doing
my internship at the Kenyatta National Hospital. He was one of the
consultant surgeons in my surgical rotation and despite our interaction
lasting only six weeks, he left a lifetime impression.
Many other colleagues were far luckier than I. Prof Saidi taught
them anatomy, a cornerstone course in medicine, in their first year of
school. He later taught them surgery during their clinical rotations.
Every single person who interacted with Prof Saidi had exactly
the same things to say about him. A brilliant mind with the utmost
humility. He made everyone feel at ease and would demonstrate the most
complex human body anatomy with such simplicity and ease that left his
students awed.
At a young age, he earned his professorship, an achievement that
is no mean feat in the world of medicine. He brought about such
positive change in the department of anatomy in the University of
Nairobi that he will forever be remembered for.
At a personal level, he inspired hundreds of his students to be
better doctors, researchers and teachers through mentorship. He never
hesitated to take calls from his resident doctors who consulted on
patients even when he was not on call.
Prof Saidi spent the last eight years of his life battling a
rare cancer that had no cure. By the time of diagnosis, he was at the
point of no return. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and seeking
sympathy, he took the high road. He made peace with the fact that death
was imminent and he only had a few years left.
In eight years, he became a professor, headed the department of
anatomy, did research and published numerous papers to his credit,
mentored hundreds of young doctors and treated thousands of patients.
At a personal level, he secured the future of his family,
knowing he would not be around long enough to see his babies grow to
manhood. Over and above his immediate family, he contributed greatly
towards the community that raised him, giving something back when most
of us wouldn’t even think to. He supported the Nubian University
Students’ Organisation, Madrasatul Falaah Society and the Haiba
Foundation in Kibra.
It is hard to imagine that one soul could achieve so much is
such a short time and yet the Kenyan public that he served so diligently
had never heard of him. It is a wonder that he had never been awarded a
presidential recognition for such selfless service. This must make us
re-look at our societal values and what we hold as important.
MENTORSHIP LASTS A LIFETIME
In the field of medicine, mentorship is such an integral part of
the profession. It is clearly upheld in the Hippocratic Oath, just to
emphasise how critical it is. Beyond the undergraduate degree level,
continued learning is more focused on apprenticeship, acquiring skills
beyond the books, by observing your seniors and learning the tricks of
the profession.
But aside from acquiring knowledge from books and skills from
practising under supervision for years, the one thing that lasts a
lifetime is mentorship.
We learn how to conduct ourselves in the profession through
mentorship, to uphold ethics and dignity from those gone before us and
to practise humility in the care of our patients by reaching out in
consultation with our colleagues.
It therefore amazes me when a patient concludes that their
doctor is unqualified because they dared to pick up the phone and
consult a colleague before writing that prescription. Or that they
called in another doctor to review the patient before coming to a
conclusion. In medicine, learning never stops.
Doctors will even hold conferences to discuss special cases that require more attention. That is being a good doctor.
The danger in private practice especially where doctors do not
belong to a structured setting, is that it is easy for a doctor to get
caught up in their world and miss out on the rapid advances in medicine.
It is incumbent upon them to make an effort to interact with others so
as to keep abreast on the new developments. But aside from that, in
moments when a doctor is worried about their patient and they do not
feel too confident, knowing that there is a mentor a phone call away to
consult with makes all the difference.
Doctors are also human. They face the same challenges as other
people. They suffer from depression, broken families, addictions,
financial challenges, parental inadequacies, ill health and death.
Coupled with the very demanding job they do, it is easy to hit breaking
point. Current research shows alarmingly high evidence of suicide among
doctors the world over. Strong support systems are necessary to ensure
they scale these heights with ease and remain productive and safe to
their patients.
Currently in Kenya, the regulatory body for doctors, The Kenya
Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board has put in place a robust
“Fitness to Practice” committee to support doctors in need. The Kenya
Medical Association has also set up a support system to reach out to
doctors countrywide who are in need of support.
It costs a lot to train a doctor. This should motivate us to do
all that is possible to keep the doctor fit to serve. Mentorship does
not cost much. It does not take away from the mentor, it is a two-way
enrichment for both parties. I do not know who Prof Saidi looked up to
when he needed a shoulder to lean on professionally but he has taught
all of us something that we should aspire to be.
In his honour, the least we could do as colleagues in the
profession is to step into his shoes in our own small ways and mentor
those who come after us.
SOURCE:
http://www.nation.co.ke/health/Lessons-on-mentorship/3476990-4082122-w8mu9jz/index.html
