Neurology - Wits University

Mission:

To learn, discover, heal, create and make the world ever better for patients and families with neurological disorders

Our Vision:

Patient care: to provide the highest quality and innovative care for neurology patients
Research: to be at the forefront of research of common neurological disorders
Education: to be among the best training programs for future clinical and academic neurologists

Undergraduate Teaching

The department is involved in teaching various undergraduate students. These include medical students, dentistry students, physiotherapy students, occupational therapy students and speech therapy and audiology students. Teaching is done via lectures, PBL’s (problem based learning) and bedside clinical tutorials.

Postgraduate Teaching

The department is involved in teaching neurology registrars, internal medicine registrars and psychiatry registrars. Teaching is done via bedside clinical tutorials and academic presentations. Registrars present lectures on neurological conditions or their MMED data at academic meetings organised by the Internal medicine departments at the 3 academic hospitals as well as the Neurosciences combined academic meetings. Consultants in the department also present lectures regularly at the WITS Physicians Update as well as for the Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H) run by the University of the Witwatersrand and the National Institute of Communicable diseases (NICD).

The WITS neurology circuit is made up of the following units

Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital
Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
Helen Joseph Hospital

The circuit offers comprehensive neurological services to southern Gauteng. We also assist with neurological patients based in North West Province.

We attend to all neurological conditions at our general Neurological Outpatient Clinic, and we have specialised clinics, viz:

Epilepsy Clinic – we manage patients with different epileptic syndromes
Movement Disorder Clinic – we manage patients with Parkinsons disease and other movement disorders
BOTOX Clinic – we administer BOTOX to patients with dystonias and spasticity
CIDP Clinic – we administer intravenous steroids according to our protocol to patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathies(CIDP) and variants
Nerve Conduction / EMG Clinic – we perform electrophysiological studies to assist in diagnosis neuromuscular disorders.

At all 3 units we are supported by dedicated electroencephalography (EEG) departments run by qualified clinical technologists and EEG technicians performing EEG’s on adult as well as paediatric patients.

CMJAH: 1 Clinical technologist + 2 EEG technicians
CHBAH: 1 Clinical technologist + 3 EEG technicians
Helen Joseph: 1 EEG technician.

Consultants

Professor Andre Mochan (MB BCh, MSc, PhD, FCP(SA))

Professor and Chief Specialist

Dr Rachel Nossel

Dr Ziporah Katz

Dr. Kalpesh Deraji Jivan

Dr. Kalpesh Deraji Jivan is a specialist neurologist in private practice and a member of the Faculty of Neurosciences at Wits University. A proud Kopite, Dr Jivan has published peer-reviewed papers on the management of stroke; amongst other research interests. In 2015 he was one of two inaugural recipients of the Austrian Neurology Department Observership Program, facilitated by the World Federation of Neurology and Austrian Neurological Society. During this observership he spent time in the neurology ICU at Innsbruck Medical University. His areas of interest include strokes and functional disorders.

Dr Eitzaz Sadiq

Dr Eitzaz Sadiq completed his specialist Neurology training at The University of the Witwatersrand in 2012, and is currently based at Helen Joseph Hospital as a senior consultant. He has a special interest in Risk Predictors for Stroke, and is a PhD candidate in the subject. His other current research interests include Optic Neuritis (in collaboration with St John's Eye Hospital) and Diabetic Neuropathy.

Dr Makwela

Dr Makwela completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2005 at the University of the Free State. She then completed specialist training in Neurology at the University of the Witwatersrand and obtained my Fellowship in Neurology from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. She has a Master of Medicine from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her areas of interest include movement disorders and vascular neurology.

Registrars in training

Dr Ahshish Govind

E-mail: ahshishgovind@gmail.com
Has attained FCNeurol (SA) with College of Medicine of South Africa. Research: Electroencephalographic changes in primary headache disorders.

Dr Annita Koufos

E-mail: akou@bk-photography.com
Has attained FCNeurol(SA) with College of Medicine of South Africa.

Dr Simphiwe Mandlesilo

E-mail: smandlesilo@gmail.com.
Has attained FCNeurol(SA) with College of Medicine of South Africa.

Dr Keobakile Leshogo

E-mail: keoleshogo@yahoo.co.uk

Dr Rifiloe Mashitela

E-mail: mashitela@gmail.com

Dr Nikki Floudiotis

E-mail: nikifloudi@gmail.com
Research: Motor Neuron Disease in Black patients at a tertiary hospital in South Africa.

Dr Jan Visagie

E-mail:visagie.christoff@gmail.com
Research: The Frequency of HIV in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Bell’s Palsy at a Tertiary Centre.

WITS neurology circuit