I want to start my not “Farewell” but “see you later” letter with gratitude. Since Gratitude is what we all need.
I’m eternally grateful to Surgeons for Little Lives for sponsoring my stay.
My boss Dr Harrison, thank you for being an amazing mentor all the way and always pushing me harder to reach to great heights and not be laid back with whatever am comfortable with.
Ansie, the miracle worker. None of this would have happened without her. I always admire her winning mentality and positive energy. She has got all the answers for every trouble I used to cause her. Prof Loveland, though I didn’t get a chance to benefit from your expertise, have heard a lot about you and the amazing job you are doing with Surgeons for Little Lives, please continue to do so and benefit many more.
My heartfelt gratitude doesn’t stop here… I want to extend it to all CHBAH, CMJAH and NMCH consultants, local and international registrars, medical officers and community service doctors. Your hospitality and welcoming me to your little medical village will always be in my heart.
I touched down OR Tambo International Airport on a bright sunny day on September 01, 2024. I instantly felt, this will be my second home for the coming one year.
Next day I went straight to Bara, met Ansie, offered me the most comfortable chair in the handover room and met all the consultants and Bara Heroes. Just like that I became one of you guys in an instant, felt the energy and that feel of working in a state hospital which sits at the centre of a massive catchment area. Though there were ups and downs in my registration and paper work, my arrival to Bara came at a perfect time in my career and Dr Harrison didn’t waste any time to introduce me to everyone around, who will be working and learning beside me for the rest of my fellowship stay.
Had the pleasure of attending the Surgeons for Little Lives dinner in mid-September, getting involved in theatre and doing calls starting October. Shortly after, I met Prof. Loveland at the Wits Club to discuss a project under the Rolls-Royce Fellowship and began contributing to it. At the end of our conversation, he shared a thought that stayed with me: “Make the most of your time while you’re here—because once you leave, people move on.” It wasn’t said unkindly, but as a reminder of how fleeting opportunities can be. That moment made me reflect on the impermanence of things, and I made a quiet promise to myself: to ensure that my time here counts—not just for others, but most importantly, for myself and the patients I serve.
It has been a smooth sail since then, being involved in a little close to 200 surgeries, be it oncology, elective or emergency general paediatric surgery.
Although I always considered myself a die-hard clinician, Dr. Harrison inspired me to dive deep into the world of research. With his guidance, I helped develop several protocols and was honored with the opportunity to present at SAAPS 2025 conference in East London, in May 2025.
The projects I was involved in were the following:
1. Survival and Treatment Outcomes of Paediatric Non-Rhabdomyosarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcomas in a South African Hospital: A 10-Year Review
2. ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SYNOPTIC VERSUS NARRATIVE OPERATIVE REPORTING SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER SURGERY IN A LIMITED RESOURCE SETTING: CHRIS HANI BARAGWANATH ACADEMIC HOSPITAL
3. Two open surgical central venous port insertion approaches in a private paediatric surgery practice in Johannesburg: A 12-year retrospective review
4. Development of a surgical checklist for paediatric surgical oncology: A clinical tool for improved perioperative practice.
5. Second Primary malignancies: Surgical management in children; Review of cases in a sub Saharan Surgical facility
I was fortunate enough to be part of the two years APPOSE (Adapted Program for Paediatric Surgical Oncology) fellowship program which is spear headed by St. Jude children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis Tennessee and where our own CHBAH plays an important part.
Attended an international conference in Hawaii, USA in October, 2024 and visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital itself twice during my stay in Johannesburg. Learned a lot in the way, the academic environment is amazing and my favourite is the monthly Mortality Morbidity meetings at Len Miller. I want to use this opportunity to truly admire the inclusive nature of the sessions and for tolerating me all the way. And I don’t want to say, Johannesburg was all about business. I had my fair share of fun and meeting awesome people on the way. I have seen with my own eyes the truly diverse nation of South Africa.
And this is my trophy am taking back home. Trophy of perseverance, trophy of people’s Good will and trophy of a bridge between cultures.
So long fellow surgeons. See you later! – Dr Andinet Beza
