Doctor’s Profile: Dr Angelina Bazuka

I admired the selfless efforts of doctors when I was young and I loved the way they would work all their way out to save lives. And with time I grew interest in learning more, and I would join my brother-in-law in practising medicine.

Name: Angelina Bazuka Oman

Occupation: Medical Doctor

Speciality: General Practitioner

Esther: Thank you so much Angelina for finding time to attend this interview, we appreciate what you are doing as a medical professional to save lives.

Angelina, please tell us a brief history about yourself.

Angelina: My name is Angelina Bazuka Oman, I come from South Sudan. I graduated medicine in 2010 from The University of Bhar El Ghazal College of Medicine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery. I interned for a one-year internship and two years of work experience.

Esther: Thank you for that brief history. What motivated you to practise medicine?

Angelina: I admired the selfless efforts of doctors when I was young, and I loved the way they would work all their way out to save lives. And with time, I grew interested in learning more, and I joined my brother-in-law in practising medicine.

Esther: Wow, that is amazing. Why did you choose Medicine and not other fields such as Public Health or Pharmacy?

Angelina: When growing up, I always had three major medical career choices, medicine was the first choice, followed by pharmacy and last but not least, laboratory practice.

Medicine was my most desire since I was in primary school, I also used to do well in science and mathematics subjects.

Esther: Have you tested your motivation? Explain.  

Angelina: Yes, I have tested my motivation by improving healing and recovery processes, and finding ways to solve medical problems. I remember when I was doing my internship in the medical department, a lady was brought in by her relatives. Upon realizing that she was severely sick, they abandoned her, never showing up again until she passed on. I really felt sorry for her. I fed her and later got someone to look after her at my own expense. It hasn’t been easy, but I have overcome challenges by learning new things as I acquire new skills.

Esther: Wow, you have such a big heart, Angelina. People around you must be so proud of you.

If you were not accepted at medical school, would you have an alternative career plan and still pursue your motivation?

Angelina: Yes, the alternative career plan I had/have is Pharmacy.

Esther: I love that, you must be science-oriented, totally. How do you visualize using your Medical Education?

Angelina: The primary purpose of medical education is to teach: Problem-solving (diagnosis) and Problem management (therapy). The goal of visualization is to make medical education more efficient and engaging. The ability to create pictures in our heads based on the text we read or words we hear enhances the knowledge about the educational value of 3D visualizations in medical education.

Esther: Wow, that’s powerful. Which other field would you want to pursue and why?

Angelina: Haha, I do not think I have any other field I would like to pursue. Science and medicine has been my all!

Esther: That is for sure. How have you been able to handle work-related stress and time management, considering that you’re balancing between family/individual and work?

Angelina: Work can be really overwhelming balancing in between shifts and late working and I can admit that it is not easy to balance between family and work.

At some point I will give my time and attention to the people and tasks that are really important to me.

Esther: What do you do for fun?

Angelina: I love dancing and singing. And I enjoy all the fun moments with my kids, we make fun memories together.

Esther: That is interesting and fun. What role has your family played in influencing your decision to pursue Medicine?

Angelina: My parents and relatives have played a major role in influencing my medical career. Parental values and expectations play a large role in the career path that children choose to follow.

Esther: Supportive parents are a blessing. What have you achieved in your career course?

Angelina: Helping others in an incredibly significant way. I have the ability to build meaningful relationships. As a doctor, when you look at the heart, from the pumping of the blood from it to drugs that take away pain to the machines that allow you to look inside a person, it makes you think that you have achieved your goal in your career course. But it is more than that, my best achievement is when a patient walks in sick and goes home up and healthy, living their lives to the fullest.

Esther: What are the experiences working with sick people?

Angelina: As a doctor, your duty is always to ensure that your patients are well diagnosed and get the proper medication, and your goal is to save the lives in the best way there is. I was once working in a medical institution, and I did not experience any difficulties since most of the patients did not come in with serious illnesses except for one who had upper GI bleeding. But the situation is different and difficult in other hospitals due to limited resources, and as a healthcare provider, you feel bad as you cannot handle everyone’s situation. Your hands are tied. You are in a position to save a life, but you cannot do it due to limited resources and medical equipment.

Esther: That is a sad outcome of events. What excites you about Medicine in general?

Angelina: Doctors must use their intelligence and technical skills to treat patients.  Many doctors enjoy the challenge of diagnosing a patient and figuring out the best way to treat them.

My best event is when I interact with my patients, and it also puts the hard work into perspective: it’s an exciting prospect that the knowledge we’re gradually accumulating at Medical School will eventually have a positive impact on many people’s lives.

Esther: All the best in that. Do you keep yourself updated with current trends?

Angelina: Yes, I do. I make sure to attend Medical Webinars, CMEs and Medical Seminars. I also schedule my time to do short medical courses.

Esther: What do you see as challenges in the health sector in Kenya today?

Angelina: I think the major challenges are limited access to healthcare facilities, lack of adequate personnel and expertise to address the medical needs, and poor Infrastructure where most facilities do not have the proper facilities to handle the medical challenges. Ironically the facilities that are highly equipped with specialized equipment do not have adequate processes and personnel in place to execute the tasks, access to medical records and Healthcare Financing.

Esther: How do you think these challenges should be addressed?

Angelina: Two parts of government, National and devolved governments, need to come together and participate in healthcare and adequate financing of the health sector, it will help in addressing challenges facing the health sector in Kenya.

Esther: What is the vision of healthcare in Kenya?

Angelina: In terms of The Kenya Vision 2030 aims to transform Kenya into a middle-income country that provides better quality of life to all its citizens. Good health promotes economic growth by boosting productivity and contributing to poverty reduction.

Esther: What is the vision of healthcare in East Africa?

Angelina: If East African Countries can come together and ensure equitable access to, and full utilization of, quality healthcare services, will they be able to meet their health and development goals?

Healthcare provisions and business opportunities available in the East African region providing Universal Health Coverage.

Esther: Thank you so much for your time, Angelina.

Written by Esther Mugo.