Nigerian doctor wins prestigious award in South Africa

Nigerian doctor wins prestigious award in South Africa

A Nigerian medical doctor, Kolawole Adigun, has won the 2011 prestigious Pierre Jacques Rural Doctor of the Year Award in South Africa.

The award, which was instituted by the Rural Doctors Association of South Africa (RuDASA) in 2002, is to reward doctors, who excel in the provision of healthcare delivery in the rural areas of the country.

Best community approach strategy

Adigun, who was a 1991 graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and works in Bethal Hospital in Mpumalanga Province, was given the award in recognition of his contribution to mobilising the community for HIV/TB counselling and test (HCT) campaign.

The association said his effort to convince members of the community and many health workers to know their HIV status through direct campaign was adjudged as the best approach for people in the community to know their HIV status.

It also said that in line with the National Department of Health policy, Adigun developed a blue print of HIV/TB Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) where the community takes responsibility for the HCT/TB campaign.

He consulted widely and was able to mobilise the whole community to take ownership of the campaign, it added.

Combating people’s fear

“When President Jacob Zuma launched the HCT campaign in April 2010, members of the Bethal community were not coming forward to do the test because they were scared of having a positive result and stigmatisation. But having convinced some of them on the need to know their status, many of them, including health workers came out for the test. Many of them that required to be placed on anti-retro viral drugs are receiving the treatment’’, Adigun told reporters in Johannesburg.

He added that the involvement of several local businesses, who donated a variety of items that were given to individuals who tested, contributed to the success of the campaign and those who tested were encouraged to be ambassadors for the HCT campaign and encouraged others to test.

Unnoticed contribution

According to Adigun, South African hospitals depend on foreign doctors to provide healthcare services in the rural areas.

“Nigerians are contributing a lot to South Africa's public and private hospitals, but our efforts are not appreciated by some South Africans. Eighty per cent of the doctors in rural district hospitals are foreigners. Without them, many rural South Africans would be unable to access health care services. So, my recognition epitomises the vast contributions of Nigerian healthcare professionals that have mostly gone unnoticed'' Adigun said.

It was reported that the award was sponsored by the HIV Clinical’s Society and Africa Health Placement.