Placing women's health first

Simon Emvula works hard to ensure that women from all walks of life are able to access to high-quality healthcare
Jamie-Lee Loss
Born and raised at Onandjila village in the Omusati Region, Simon Emvula attended primary and secondary education in northern Namibia.

In 2007, he was awarded a scholarship to pursue medicine at the Latin American School of Medicine. After completing his medical degree, he completed a two-year internship at the Katutura State Hospital and was subsequently appointed as a medical officer in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology.

At the time, there were only two specialists in the department. "I understood the need for expertise in our country, and this realisation prompted my interest in wanting to capacitate myself further," Emvula said.

Acquiring knowledge

He was accepted for a specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa in 2017.

He received a master's degree in obstetrics and gynaecology, and a fellowship in the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of South Africa, at the end of his four-year specialist training. He is currently working as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in both the public and private sectors.

Caring profession

"The specialty of gynaecology and obstetrics is about the well-being of women, thus my job involves providing quality healthcare for women," Emvula said. This includes managing gynaecological problems, helping women to conceive, and providing care for women all through the journey of pregnancy and birth.

He specialises in the medical care of women and their reproductive systems.

He is trained to check for and treat menstrual cycle difficulties, family planning, infertility, hormones, sexually transmitted infections, gynaecological malignancies, and to perform gynaecological procedures.

As an obstetrician, he is concerned with a mother's and her baby's health during pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care.

Challenges and accomplishments

Giving patients bad news is one of his job's biggest challenges, particularly when it involves a miscarriage, a deformed fetus, deadly foetal abnormalities, or a cancer diagnosis.

His accomplishments include providing the highest level of care to his patients.

Emvula is a firm believer that all women, regardless of socioeconomic status, are entitled to high-quality health care. As a result, he draws satisfaction from the shared experience of childbirth with patients and their families, and says that many patients inspire him.

He intends to continue equipping himself with new skills and innovations in his field in order to make their clinic the best obstetrics and gynaecology centre for women from all walks of life.