Fighting Strong !

Losing her father when she was just a teenager was a defining moment for general practitioner Dr Lungile Mhlongo (or Dr Lu, as she’s fondly known). Now the single mother and owner of two successful private practices is on the medical frontline in the fight against the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

Her flawless skin, slim physique and exceptionally stylish wardrobe are deceiving. One could easily be forgiven for mistaking Dr Lu as a model rather than a qualified medical doctor and the founder of Numa Medical Aesthetics in Umhlanga and Dr LF Mhlongo surgery in Stanger.
But behind the beaming smile, glamorous appearance and large social media following is a woman who ultimately became a doctor because she wanted to save lives and ‘be the change’ she hoped to see in the world.

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Please give us a bit of background about your life and family
I am the youngest in a family of ten children. I am from an area called Kwangcolosi, just west of Durban and matriculated from Bizimali high school. I went straight to university where I graduated from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine (UKZN) with a bachelor of medicine and surgery. Thereafter I did a diploma in aesthetic medicine. I did my community service and finally opened my private general practitioner practice in Stanger in 2017. I am a single mom and have a five-year-old son who keeps me very busy. When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with him and my family, and travelling.

Tell us about your journey into the world of medicine and private practice
I wouldn’t say I always knew I wanted to be a medical doctor. I made the decision after my father became very ill and died when I was a teenager. He had a condition that only one doctor could treat and, on one occasion, when he became very ill and that doctor wasn’t available to help him, I had to stand by helplessly watching him in pain. He eventually died. My dad’s death was a defining period in my life. Losing someone that close to me helped me see the dire need for medical practitioners in our country as a whole. I couldn’t fathom the fact that a person could lose their life due to a lack of medical assistance. That was when I decided to become a doctor – to save lives and actually become the change I wanted to see in the world. My passion for medicine is still one that is driven by my love for people and the appreciation of the gift of life that God has blessed us with.

Your two practices are very different. Please tell us about them and the services you offer.
I have had a general practitioner practice in Stanger since 2017. Operating as a family practitioner has been so advantageous to me, because it’s allowed me to serve the community on a greater scale. I have been able to establish relationships with my patients and am able to follow up on them consistently. I host weekly wellness days in disadvantaged communities where we visit schools to do basic health checks and teach children about health in general. After establishing my practice in Stanger I opened NUMA Medical Aesthetics in Umhlanga Ridge. We offer non-surgical cosmetic medicine skin care services to help people achieve natural-looking body and facial rejuvenation. Our treatments include acne and anti-ageing treatments, weight-loss, lipolysis, IV drips, mole removal, hair loss and more.

How has being a medical practitioner during a pandemic affected your life?
I think it’s important to note that this pandemic affects everyone. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter who you are. It will require a joint effort from all of us to fight it. On a personal level it has affected me both as a doctor and as a mother. Working on the frontline means you face potential contamination with the corona virus on a daily basis. I haven’t been able to see my family, who I need now more than ever, and they also worry about my safety. Obviously a lot has changed in our businesses, with all staff wearing masks, shields and protective gowns, clients being asked screening questions before they come in, mandatory masks and temperature checks on arrival, social distancing and only a limited number of services available. We are also doing virtual consultations where possible. I do think the collateral damage from this virus will be far greater than any of us could have imagined. Although it only severely affects about 20% of those who get infected, there is a lot to think about for those who survive. What will life be after this pandemic? So many things will be (and already have been) so badly affected, but I remain hopeful that if we stick together we can fight it and beat it in the end.

Details: NUMA Medical Aesthetics: 031 562 1246, FB: Numasthetics IG: numasthetics; Dr LF Mhlongo: 032 552 1642 or follow Dr Lu on IG: drlu_

Text: LEAH SHONE | Photographs: CHRIS ALLAN PHOTO

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