Witsie is honoured as Young Trailblazer and Achiever
- L.R.
Dr Salome Maswime was honoured as a Young Trailblazer and Achiever by President Zuma at the National Youth Day Commemoration.
Clinical Scientist and Wits Alumni, Dr Salome Maswime was honoured as a Young Trailblazer and Achiever by President Zuma at the National Youth Day Commemoration, Tshing Sports Ground, Ventersdorp on the 16th of June 2017.
Marking 41 years since the heroic uprising by the youth of our country on 16 June 1976, the event named a number of Young Trailblazers and Achievers who were proving it was possible to be successful in South Africa as a young person.
President Zuma said: “More young people are becoming doctors and specialists at a young age in our country. We are proud to host an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist who is also a lecturer and director of the Wits University Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinical Research Division at the age 34, Dr Salome Maswime from Midrand in Gauteng.”
Dr Maswime, originally from Limpopo, wanted to become a doctor, because of her love for working with people and wanting to help people in need. During her training she discovered her love of the labour ward, finding it was both thrilling and rewarding. Eventually, her passion inspired her to complete a PhD, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the South African Medical Research Council, investigating the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality from caesarian section related haemorrhage. Auditing the deaths and near deaths of mothers in 15 hospitals in southern Gauteng, and conducted a systematic review. Her research revealed that the traditional emphasis on surgical and medical techniques to stop haemorrhaging could be supplemented with other interventions that will reduce caesarian section-related deaths.
Passionate to improve the quality of service to birthing mothers in South Africa, she has presented this research in South Africa, Canada, Spain and Denmark. She has also represented the Wits Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinical Research Division in Morrocco and Sweden. Additionally, she is an executive member of the South African Perioperative Research Group, a member of the International Network of Obstetric Survey Systems and is collaborating with the World Health Organization. Later this year as Chairperson of the Organising Committee of the Maternal Health Summit, which will be hosted in Johannesburg from 9 – 11 November, the topic of safer delivery and caesarian section will be under the spotlight.
Dr Salome Maswime, is a true example of a modern health professional. A remarkable trailblazer in the health sciences, balancing the demands of being a clinician and researcher while advancing the knowledge of high-risk pregnancies in the medical field. She is to be named in the Mail & Guardian 200 young South Africans on 30 June.