Doctors save lives, but who saves theirs?

Medical students and doctors are shockingly the professionals with the highest suicide rate worldwide due to issues with anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Mental health has become a topical issue in the 21st century, with more focus being placed on it than ever before. Even though it is at the forefront of note, medical professionals are suffering from increased levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout whilst trying to save others from the aforementioned.

In an article, Professor Bernard Janse van Rensburg said: “Doctors are 2.5 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, while physician burnout is a leading cause of medical error”. He explained awareness of this issue needs to start with medical students to reduce the stigma surrounding doctors and their mental health.

For medical students at Wits, their issues are caused by how their curriculum is set up. They have long working hours, which take effect from fifth year. They have weekday shifts, which can last up to 15 hours and night shifts on the weekend. In addition, these students are studying full-time, which includes doing readings, class work, and online lectures.

To further investigate the issue, Wits Vuvuzela spoke to four medical students on campus who said they are suffering from intense stress, depression, and burnout. The students requested to remain anonymous as they fear reprisal. Three of the four students said they were on anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety medication, and all reported they were on the verge of burnout.

Eileen Maleka, a manager from the Office of Student Success (OSS) at Wits, a programme offering support, counselling, and academic assistance to health science students, said, “South African research reveals higher rates of suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety among medical students… barriers to accessing mental health services include time constraints, confidentiality concerns, and fear of stigma.”

The additional pressure to do well academically also adds to the mental toll. Students have been known to write five tests in one day, thereafter, attend shifts at hospitals. This is because students are seen as part of the main workforce, but they feel they are just “free labour”. Students are not paid for the work they do.

Despite Wits having the OSS programme, these young doctors-in-training feel as though they are not fully supported. The students explained the suicide statistic is simply unacceptable, yet not surprising, and institutions need to acknowledge the numbers are not decreasing.

The Dean of Student Affairs, Jerome September, said medical students are welcome to “further discuss what the specific gaps might be with the idea to find improvements where required”. He said, this could include compulsory debriefings or group counselling sessions which could ease the burden on them.  

FEATURES IMAGE: Scenario showing the stress medical students feel on a daily basis. Photo: Adobe Stock

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Johannesburg Boxing Team gets ready to rumble  

The upcoming Gauteng championship has boxers feeling motivated with their eyes set on the gold. 

In preparation for the Gauteng championship taking place on May 26, boxers from different clubs around Johannesburg are perfecting their uppercuts and jabs.  

The Hugenote Boxing Club, where the team practices on Saturday’s, looks like a typical boxing gym, fitted with heavy punching bags hanging from the ceiling, a boxing ring in the centre, and a trophy stand with medals, pictures and certificates.  

Team coach, Duncan Morris used to be an amateur boxer but had to quit boxing for health reasons. After a seven-year hiatus, Morris is now using his boxing knowledge and abilities to train others.  

Training sessions are led by Morris and two other coaches, Boetie Lourens and Jennifer Matibi. Each coach has a specific programme for the day, which they execute throughout the training session. These training programmes include, heavy bag workouts, jumping rope, sit-ups, sparring, sprinter crunches, and a run around the block. 

“I don’t just observe the boxers during training, I train alongside them. This allows me to lead by example and demonstrate the level of commitment required in training,” Morris said.  

The championship will be at the Transnet Engineering Boxing Academy in Pretoria and participants will include boxers from the three Gauteng metropolitan cities namely, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and Tshwane. 

In an interview with Wits Vuvuzela, a boxer from the Johannesburg Boxing team Reggie Mogashoa (27) said that he uses techniques like mental training and meditation to help him stay calm and focused during training. 

Morris said that their approach is to also help boxers get mentally/psychologically prepared for the championship by creating a safe space for them to talk about their personal issues. 

“Mental strength is crucial in boxing, and physical strength alone is not enough. Lacking mental toughness can make it challenging for a boxer to perform well in a fight,” Morris said. 

One of the boxers, Hoosein Isaacs, who is a two-time South African boxing champion told Wits Vuvuzela that he wants to do his best in training and become the champion once again “to regain his status.”  

Johan Prinsloo from Transnet Engineering Boxing Academy said that the championship will follow the international boxing rules and “the winner will walk away with a gold medal and will be recognised as a South African champion”.  

The championship’s first round is scheduled between May 26 and May 28, while the second round is scheduled for June.  

FEATURED IMAGE: The Johannesburg boxing team in training mode as they prepare for the Gauteng championship. Photo: Nonkululeko Mncube

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A legacy of karate in Fordsburg

After 50 years of learning and teaching martial arts, Solly Said is glad he followed his heart in his career instead of following his parents’ wishes.

After all, it also brought him love.

It was through karate that he met his wife, Shamsa.

Shamsa Said hurries to the dojo, with only five minutes to spare before her next client, wearing black sweat pants and a loose T-shirt. She joins her husband who is already deep in conversation about his life as a karate master. She insists on being interviewed alone. “It is going to take forever if I do the interview with him [Solly]”. He has a great laugh because of her comment.

Shamsa talks about how she was led to karate because of her interest in Solly. “It was the only way I was going to see him,” she says.  She ended up  pursuing  karate and reached black belt status.

All five of their children have followed in their footsteps and have obtained their black belts. Twenty-eight-year-old Zahra Said is a 4th Dan black belt. Yu-sha is their youngest son and a 3rd Dan black belt. He has a keen interest in soccer and has a position as analyst of the U19 Orlando Pirates team. Tasneem is his oldest child and also a 4th Dan; she is a mother and has chosen to focus her time on family.

‘This was my father’s path, I have to look for my own path’

Said has been teaching karate in Fordsburg for the past 25 years. He wishes that one of his children would take over the karate business and one of his daughters was prepared to until tragedy struck. “My second-youngest daughter passed away 15 years ago, I thought she was going to be the one who takes over.”

He also speaks highly of daughter Zahra and would not mind if she was the one who took over the family business. Although Zahra says her parents have been a true inspiration, she does not feel the need to one day take over the family business. “This was my father’s path, I have to look for my own path,” she says as she explains her independence from the business.

She finds a lot of pleasure in teaching children karate in her own capacity. “I love seeing them learn, I love seeing them apply, I love seeing them getting excited and wanting to show me the new kick-back that they have learnt.”

She also has a big passion for Heal Your Life therapy just like her mother, Shamsa. This kind of therapy helps with relaxation and physiological processes such as circulation.

However, Said believes that his legacy will continue one way or another, even if it is by his students. “I think what I have started 50 years ago will go to posterity. I can see future generations, sucking it dry, drinking it, eating it and enjoying what has been developed.”

Solly Said, the karate master

At the age of 13,  Solly knew that martial arts would be the path he would take. Growing up in the violent Malay camp area, he says doing karate was the only means of self-defence and discipline. At the time,  gangs were popular and there was a lot of political turmoil in the area and South Africa as a whole.

It became the community’s aim to get young children off the streets . For his early childhood, Said recalls many children from his area playing cricket or soccer every day when they got back from school. “We spent many hours on the streets playing and fooling around,” he says.

The Central Islam Youth Organisation (CIYO) started an initiative to get the youth off the streets. They wanted to introduce sports such as karate and judo that place a great emphasis on discipline and respect.  At the time karate was an unconventional sport, especially for “non-whites”, Said says. “Some people only knew about karate because of James Bond movies.”

Said, or Hanshi (master) as he is called by his students, has beaten all the odds to follow his dreams. In his final year of studying BEd  he decide to change and study draughting because it was a paying apprenticeship course. This is how he raised funds for his plane ticket to Japan.

Although he was financially and emotionally ready for the trip,  his father refused to let him “go to Japan and get killed,” so he did not help Said with his visa. “I was the fourth of five sons in the family, and while the others had seemed to have conformed to the house rules, I was the maverick,” Said says. Said laughs when he thinks of the measures he had to take in order to get a visa. “I ended up forging my father’s signature. He was livid when he found out how I got my passport but that was my dream.”

However, it was not a smooth journey to Japan for him. He had problems with his visa and had to start his travels in Zimbabwe where he would do a short karate course. It was there where he was advised by his karate master to start his international travels in New York. “He told me that there were top karate masters from Japan and you can learn from them and pick up a bit of Japanese.” This is where he was graded and tested for his 1st Dan black belt.

KARATE MASTER: Solly Said (Soke) in his early years of training. Photo: Queenin Masuabi

Said made a promise to himself that he would be in Japan on his 21st birthday and he was. Being in Japan was the highlight of his career because he was taught by the great Japanese Hanshi Masutatsu Oyama, founder of  Kyokushin Kai karate.

Said smiles when he speaks about the time he has spent in Japan. “Words can’t describe the experience, the challenges, the charm of studying in a full-time karate school. The one in Japan had the flavours of the East.”

He speaks passionately about all elements of Japanese culture, whether it be music, art, literature or food. “I feel like I must have been Japanese in another lifetime,” he says.

However, deep down in his heart he knew that he owed it to his country to come back and make a difference in the only way he knew how to, through karate. He opened his first gym and dojo at the Suliman Nana Memorial Hall in the late 1960s.

During his travels abroad he met up with his peers, who were advising him to leave South Africa for good. Especially in the 1980s when South Africa was going through political turmoil.  At the time there were national school boycotts in most townships. There were also many forced removals in the Vrededorp area where Said came from.

Ken To Fude Ryu karate

He then founded his own karate style called Ken To Fude Ryu. This karate style is a culmination of all the different styles that he had learnt all over the world, including Kyokushin Kai karate. It is Japanese for “the way of the brush and sword”.

“The name came to me in a kind of half sleep, half awakeness, after sleepless nights of thinking, dreaming and contemplating.”

The brush  refers to the continuous search for knowledge because in ancient Japanese culture, people did not use a pen but a brush to write. Said says it reflects on his keen interest for literature and writing. It could also reflect on using diplomacy and skills in creating peace through negotiation.

The sword is said to symbolise the continuous practice of perfection. Being a master in martial arts shows just how this Hanshi  has worked hard to perfect his craft and this is what he tries to instil in his students. It could also mean, if necessary, people have to fight for what they believe in order to find peace.

The principles of Ken To Fude Ryu karate are meant to instil seven core values. These include ensuring that students become stronger, tougher, gain stamina, gain knowledge of the syllabus and gain skill in their performance.  Maintaining a good attitude is also key because Said emphasises that skill alone is not enough for students to progress. Said also emphasises a good form of spirit- building  which means producing more confident students.

KARATE: This is the true philosophy behind karate according to Solly Said. Photo: Queenin Masuabi

One of the most important principles for Ken To Fude Ryu is, as Said explains it, converting “pain to power” which means that students will be able to defend themselves more quickly than the average person. This is because they would be able to withstand pain considering the continuous practice which would involve blows to the body.

Ken To Fude Ryu karate has similarities to the Kyokushin Kai style which Said learnt in Japan. Kyokushin is Japanese for “the ultimate truth” and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training. This concept has less to do with the Western meaning of truth; rather it is more in keeping with the bushido (warrior code) concept of discovering the nature of one’s true character when tried. One of the goals of Kyokushin is to strengthen and improve character by challenging oneself through rigorous training.

Using Ken To Fude Ryu karate, many of Said’s scholars have been able to flourish and, just like him, travel around the world. This makes Said very proud because he feels that he has served as a role model to many of the young children that he trains in and around Fordsburg.

TRAINING DAY: One of Solly Said’s students, Vhorifha Ngobele, training with his sensei. Photo: Queenin Masuabi

Solly Said in Fordsburg

Said speaks of how the dynamics in Fordsburg have changed a great deal since the time he decided to return to South Africa. Now there are people of all nationalities (Pakistani, Somali, Bangladeshi and Egyptian) coming in to learn karate. He speaks proudly of his gym having been used in a documentary as an example of a space where people are accepted regardless of their nationality, during the xenophobic attacks in 2011. “My gym was seen as the ideal kind of centre where people could work together without thinking of people as other.”

FEATURED IMAGE: One of Solly Said’s students, Vhorifha Ngobele, training with his sensei. Photo: Queenin Masuabi

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Wits Soccer shoots for Nationals

HECTIC HEADER: During soccer practice at Diggs fields on Tuesday, Wits team captain Tebogo Digoamaje said he is confident in his team’s performance for their upcoming semi-final match against Tuks in the USSA Gauteng League, where a top three spot will get them to nationals.    Photo: Lameez Omarjee

HECTIC HEADER: During soccer practice at Diggs fields on Tuesday, Wits team captain Tebogo Digoamaje said he is confident in his team’s performance for their upcoming semi-final match against Tuks in the USSA Gauteng League, where a top three spot will get them to nationals.
Photo: Lameez Omarjee

If the Wits men’s soccer team beat Tuks, Pretoria University’s log leaders, next week, it will go through to the national finals of the University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament in December.

Through this possible win at next week Tuesday’s match, Wits would attain one of the top three positions in the Gauteng USSA League and would then qualify for the national tournament to be held in Durban, in the first week of December.
Meeting for the second time with their opponents, Wits University football coach Karabo Mogudi said his men were more than prepared for Tuks.

Cruising through competition

“They are good football players; they play high intensity football which is a strong point for them. I’ve prepared the team to play the same as well. They must bring it on because we know we [are] going to bring it too,” said Mogudi.

Wits thrashed Tuks with a 3-1 win the last time there was a face-off between the two in August. Mogudi is confident his team could win against them again, even though the match is in Pretoria, on their rival’s home turf when they duel on Tuesday, September 23.

The rankings so far are as follows: Tuks first, Vaal University of Technology (VUT) second, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) third and Wits, in fourth place.

Attaining a position in the top eight of the USSA national champs will then qualify Wits for the Varsity Football league. They did not qualify last year.

“The team should be the star. I don’t want individualism … if the team wins, the players shine. It’s that simple”

Wits team captain Tebogo Digoamaje, 2nd year BSc Property Studies, who joined the team last year felt that their performance this season was better because the squad was bigger. About 25 players are registered for the USSA Gauteng League. Last year the smaller team battled without squad rotations between games.

Digoamaje revealed that past lost matches were due to mistakes they had made, rather than their opponent’s performance.

Unshakable confidence

However, he had “full respect for every opponent” they played against. In preparation for their game against Tuks, he said, “We’ve implemented a number of strategies, various ones, and the coach will decide which will lead us to victory and get us to nationals.”

Left wing Neo Makua, 3rd year BSc Quantity Surveying, felt confident that the team will go through to national championships. “The coach made us become a team, so we put the team before the individual.”

Although there are strong individuals playing, Mogudi emphasised team play rather than individual stars. “The team should be the star. I don’t want individualism … if the team wins, the players shine. It’s that simple,” he said.

Mogudi is confident in the team’s tactics and credits his technical team, which consists: assistant coach Dumisani Thusi, goal-keeper coach Kgabo Ditsebe and team manager, Sanele Nene for developing new ideas and strategies for success.

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