Mention Dr Nombuso Mthethwa’s name, and someone you know on the North Coast will have something good to say. The much-loved obstetrician and gynaecologist has been practising in Ballito for the last 14 years, and it was with deep sadness that she delivered her last baby at the end of June.
With the closure of the local hospital’s maternity ward, Nombuso will no longer be practising obstetrics, and although the change is profound, she is optimistic about the future. She has already begun work at her new rooms at Regency House where she offers general gynaecology and women’s health services. “I’ve been very emotional about the whole thing, but I’ve made peace with it now,” she says. “Sometimes things happen in life that push you in a certain direction, and you can waste too much energy and emotion getting stuck in the ‘why’. Maybe God has opened another door for a reason.” Nombuso and her family moved to Ballito in 2009 when she was offered a job at the hospital, and they have built a life here. “I love being here – this is my town now,” she says. “I had to find a way to stay, and there’s a lot I can still offer in the world of women’s health.”
Nombuso wanted to be a doctor for as long as she can remember. Her mother was a nurse, so she grew up seeing her work at hospitals and clinics. “My first patients were my dolls,” she laughs. “From a very young age, I knew what I wanted.”
She was drawn to obstetrics and gynaecology because she loves being a part of a very special journey. “With obstetrics, there’s a beginning and an end,” she explains. “You see that little bean, you see a heart, and you see the full evolving of a human.” And over the years, she has guided patients through different phases of their lives, from the teenage years into motherhood. “It’s been wonderful because I know so many families. It’s priceless.”
Nombuso reminisces about her full and rewarding career, but admits that it hasn’t always been easy. When she was specialising and her son was just 18 months old, she went through a divorce and spent four years as a single mom. “The job has come with a lot of sacrifice,” she says. “It’s easy to get lost in the work, but you never know your strength until you have to.”
For her, the labour ward is a sacred space and her work is an extension of who she is. “Medicine has always been my dream. It’s something I would do even if I wasn’t getting a cent.”
Six months after starting in private practice, Nombuso remarried, and she says she owes her professional success to the support of her family, and her husband and children in particular. “They have always let me pursue my passion and calling even though it was hard at times,” she says. “I am also so grateful for my many colleagues who have guided and supported me, and my patients for trusting me.”
Now, with the shift towards more general women’s health, Nombuso believes she is embarking on a new chapter. And, she hopes, one that gives her time for her other passion – writing.
“I’m a poet,” she reveals. “I write about the human spirit, people’s moods and minds. For me, this fits in perfectly with medicine. My poetry is all about people, their triumphs and sorrow.” Every year, she embarks on what she calls her annual pilgrimage to the Franschhoek Literary Festival to feed her love for words. “I am an avid reader, and my dad was a big inspiration for that,” she says.
“I was that odd kid reciting Shakespeare at school,” she laughs.
Writing has always been an outlet for her to express emotion, especially when the weight of her work has been heavy, and she has plans to publish a book about women – and their layers — in the future. “Having worked with women all these years, I’ve seen their strength,” she says. “My life is taking a different turn, and I don’t have a road map, but I’ll get there! I’m going to see what comes next, and what I can offer.”
At her new practice, Nombuso has plans to collaborate with other healthcare professionals – from dieticians and physiotherapists, to physicians and surgeons. “I feel I can still contribute, and I’m very open to learning from people and from life,” she explains.
“The process of change is often painful, but there’s a reason, and something bigger and better is coming.”
Text: Jennifer Campbell Photographs: TASH HOSKEN LANGE Outfits: MANGO GATEWAY Makeup: kylie p makeup Location: next Level, lifestyle centre
