My African GP

When I first set off for South Africa, it was with the begrudging permission of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, "my" hospital. They sent me off with a small package of emergency pills. Just in case…

Because Africa is far away, dark, and scary. It is the land of traditional healers, herbalists, and dangerous diseases. "Stay away from there" was the underlying message.

But I had been to Cape Town many times before and loved the crisp skies and the blue sea.

To me, it felt like a familiar, clean environment. So, I left with high hopes.

And those hopes were realized. Not only is Cape Town a city that feels very European—where you can find some of the best food and drink in the world—but in terms of medical standards, it is a fantastic country. Provided, of course, you have the means to pay for private care.

South Africa has numerous medical milestones to its name, including the first successful Caesarean section in Africa (and third in the world) in 1826 by Dr. James Barry, and the world's first successful open-heart surgery in 1967 by Dr. Christiaan Barnard. Until the end of the Apartheid era, care was not equally available to the entire population. However, when the system opened up to everyone at the dawn of the Rainbow Nation and hospital management was overhauled, it also opened the doors to corruption and procurement fraud, which has unfortunately led to a drastic deterioration of the public system.

Meanwhile, a private market developed with hospitals, doctors, and specialists offering their services at rates that—by European standards—are very reasonable, and with virtually no waiting times. I can walk into a Mediclinic without an appointment and walk out an hour later with a CT scan and blood test results in hand. A visit to a cardiologist? An appointment within a week. In the Netherlands, Lydia had fallen through the cracks of regular breast screenings. Here, a quick scan, a lump was found, and an operation was scheduled immediately. Fortunately, it was benign, but it’s better to be certain.

On one hand, this sounds wonderful, but the flip side is that this care is not accessible to the entire population. Conversely, a large portion of the working population—both Black and White—can afford it, and it is thanks to this industry that high-quality medical care has been preserved.

In politics, there are pressing voices calling for system reform, which essentially boils down to banning private healthcare. That seems like a disaster to me. There is already a massive brain drain underway, and we cannot afford to lose these doctors. The solution lies in cleaning up the public hospitals. It’s not that the government lacks a budget; the money simply doesn't reach the right places. Last year, a doctor published an emergency letter: all essential supplies in his hospital were constantly out of stock. Not because of a lack of funds, but because the money disappeared into the pockets of a network of hospital administrators. This whistleblower was subsequently fired. Yet his story is emblematic of many medical institutions here.

The only solution is to ensure that available funds are used effectively, so that necessary medicines and equipment can be purchased and doctors' salaries are high enough to retain the best talent.

In the meantime, I gratefully make use of the medical care offered here. For me, it is of vital importance.

But it’s not just a matter of money. The mentality here is also different from that in the Netherlands. My GP is the best example of this.

If you go to the doctor in the Netherlands, you get 10 minutes to discuss a maximum of one complaint. If you have something else, you have to make a new appointment. Proactively spotting an issue isn't really part of the process.

Take Dr. Darren, for example. He is the only doctor in the entire world who truly takes responsibility for me. I have therefore appointed him as my personal Physician-in-Ordinary (Lijfarts). When I visit him, he checks me over completely. I don’t have to go through three counters and five appointments; he draws my blood, tests my urine, and examines and listens to me thoroughly. He was the one who noticed my blood sugar was steadily rising due to prednisone use, and he took action. He also decided it was time for me to see a cardiologist again—after all, my arteries had suffered under chemotherapy. So, he made an appointment for me, which turned out to be absolutely necessary.

And when I catch a virus or some other ailment, I book an appointment online for the same day or the following morning. Then, it's a three-minute walk from my house to his practice. The pharmacy is just around the corner, and I don’t have to stand in line for half an hour. A round like that would take me a week in Amsterdam.

It is a matter of mentality. Dr. Darren looks at the person—the whole person. And he doesn't let go until a problem is solved.

So, strangely enough, this country offers both the worst and the best care on earth. I truly hope that by weeding out government corruption and the rise of a new generation that is no longer solely focused on self-enrichment, the hospitals will also be restored, so that everyone here can benefit from this quality and mentality.