Passion for neurology puts doctor on new path
After completing his MBBCh degree at Wits, Ngele went back to Limpopo for his internship and community service.
Dr Bongani Ngele is a new neurologist in town. Born and raised in Burgersfort, Limpopo, medicine was an easy pick for the bright student.
After completing his MBBCh degree at Wits, Ngele went back to Limpopo for his internship and community service.
“At that point, after being in Johannesburg for so long, I just wanted to be close to my family and to serve the communities I grew up in.
“In 2018 while I was in Jane First, working at an HIV clinic, I got bored. That is when I had the desire to further my studies,” he explained.
It is after that stint that he embarked on a journey to specialise in neurology at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, through a registrar programme. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Pretoria earlier this year.
“The passion for neurology started when I was still in varsity. I was on a neurology clinical rotation and I was fascinated with the complexities that come with the nervous system,” he added.
Ngele said he went into the programme with great enthusiasm.
“Neurology is concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. The nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system that regulates and coordinates body activities.
“It has two major divisions, the central nervous system and the brain and spinal cord. Further than that we also deal with the cognitive part of the brain. This includes memory, attention, and behaviour, which overlap with psychiatry.
“We also deal with muscle disorders,” he added.
Ngele said the most prevalent conditions that he observed are headaches, strokes and epilepsy. He is most concerned with the lack of education about strokes and their causes.
“Strokes have a diverse presentation and people have to be aware of that,” he said.
He urges the community to be aware of the clinical presentations of stroke using the acronym ‘BE FAST’:
B – any onset of changed walk or severe dizziness that affects balance
E – any onset of visual (eyes) impairment
F – any drooping of the face
A – sudden weakness of the arm
S – sudden onset of speech impairment
T – time is of the essence.
Ngele said if a person experiences any of these symptoms, they should be rushed to the nearest hospital.
“The sooner you get to the hospital to present the symptom, the sooner the stroke can be treated. This can minimise the long-term effects of the stroke,” he added.
On epilepsy, the doctor warned not to insert any item in a person’s mouth while there are having a seizure.
“What you should do when someone is having a seizure is, first call for help. Then make sure the area around them is safe or move them to a safe place.
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“If there is anything in their mouth, you can turn them on their side to help whatever is in their mouths to flow out,” he explained.
Dementia, especially in the elderly, is another ailment that Ngele believes the community should aim to treat.
“Many people accept that the elderly have to live with dementia when it is treatable. The treatment can drastically improve the quality of their lives, and their participation in the lives of their families,” he said.
Ngele is primarily based at the Life Springs Parkland Hospital.
