Rural E-Cape award winner: ‘my motivation - seeing medicine change lives’

Abstract

Witnessing the change in AIDS patients; from death sentence to miraculous recovery in a single year as antiretroviral drug supply lines began flowing was the biggest motivator to continue doctoring in the deep rural former Transkei for Liz Gatley.

The Eastern Cape’s Rural Doctor of the Year admits that ‘overwhelm’ was her constant companion during her first (community service) year at Zithulele Hospital on the poverty stricken but beautiful Wild Coast. This was in spite of having joined two experienced, dedicated husband and wife couples who had spent years building up a multi-disciplinary team that has since become the envy of rural peers country-wide. She bravely chose to stay with the posting even though a close friend she had applied with was posted to the city.