Licham Hlotshana (MP1004379)

Managed acute medical and surgical emergencies, coordinated admissions with specialists, facilitated theatre referrals, and arranged ICU admissions for critically ill patients, including STEMI and other high-acuity cases. Worked closely with multidisciplinary teams to ensure timely patient care and appropriate escalation of treatment.

Managed acute and chronic medical conditions, formulated and adjusted treatment plans through ongoing patient reviews, and coordinated care with specialists and multidisciplinary teams. Assisted with stock control, ordering, and dispensing, while supporting practice growth through patient education initiatives, promotional content development, and community engagement strategies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Participated in daily morning meetings, including delivering presentations on a variety of clinical topics.

Conducted formal and bedside teaching sessions for second- and fifth-year medical students from Walter Sisulu University.

Assisted in conflict resolution between nursing staff and medical officers to promote effective teamwork and patient care.

Completed 3-month casualty rotation and independently managed emergency patients, working approximately 80 hours of overtime per month throughout the 12-month period, including night shifts.

Participated in outreach programs and facilitated appropriate referral of patients to district hospitals and tertiary care facilities when required.

Managed patients in the Outpatient Department (OPD) over a 3-month period, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up planning.

Paediatrics rotation (2 months): Managed general ward and paediatric high-care patients, including:

Paediatric burns and fracture cases

Upper and lower respiratory tract infections of varying severities

Gastrointestinal infections, meningitis, and other infectious and non-infectious paediatric conditions

Maternity rotation (2 months): Managed antenatal and postnatal wards, high-risk clinics, BANC scans, and preeclampsia cases with appropriate referral when necessary.

Surgical ward rotation (2 months): Managed inpatients including burns and other surgical conditions; assisted in theatre procedures including skin grafts under spinal and general anaesthesia.

Performed patient assessments and liaised with tertiary/academic hospitals for specialist input and referrals.

Performed and interpreted point-of-care ultrasound scans in both maternity and emergency care, including:

DVT scans

FASH scans for TB diagnosis in HIV-positive patients

Obstetric dating scans (including termination-of-pregnancy assessments)

Diagnosis and referral of ectopic pregnancies

Basic echocardiography, with referral when indicated

Performed reduction of fractures and dislocations, applied splints, conducted neurovascular assessments, and referred to orthopaedics when necessary.

Managed musculoskeletal injuries and surgical ward patients, including burns and other general surgical conditions.

Assisted in theatre procedures, including performing skin grafts under spinal and general anaesthesia.

Administered spinal anaesthesia for caesarean sections, skin grafts, and other surgical procedures.

Performed caesarean sections, including both primary (virgin abdomen) and repeat (previous C-section ×1) cases.

• Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital