For Dr Fanele Gina from rural Ngwavuma in northern KwaZulu-Natal, going to school was more than something everyone has to do. Education became a way to rise above adversity. Growing up within a polygamous household, he often felt invisible. However, through focus and dedication, he discovered that school could shape his future.
Now a community service medical officer at Piet Retief Hospital in Mpumalanga, school helped him become the person he was meant to be.
When he was young, he didn’t really have any role models. He says his exposure was limited, both in terms of resources and in how he saw the world. While others saw great potential in him to pursue medicine, he had his own vision.
“I’ve always been passionate about human rights. I wanted to be a lawyer. That was my life goal.”
Fanele Gina
Discovering medicine
Gina notes that even when he was in matric, he applied for medicine as his first choice, secretly hoping he’d be rejected so he could pursue his true interest: law, which he had listed as his second option. “This suggestion came from both my maternal and paternal sides, and even my teachers, as if they had all discussed it,” he says.
He started his studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in 2017 and completed his medical degree in 2022. Afterwards, he did his internship at Ladysmith Hospital for two years, followed by rural medicine (family medicine) at Estcourt Hospital.
He reflects on how little he knew about the field before entering it.
“I didn’t even know medicine guaranteed job security or came with a good salary. That’s just what people told me. I never did any research, not even about the specialities.
“All I knew was that it was a six-year degree.” He admits, “I felt like I was doing it because others thought it was right for me.”
But once he started medical school, something changed.
“I fell in love with it. The way they taught us was amazing. They grounded us in such a powerful way.
“At UKZN, they emphasised that when you practise medicine, you have the power to impact not just a single life, but entire communities.”
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A passion for children’s healthcare is born
During his internship, he rotated through different departments. That’s when he discovered his true passion: paediatrics.
“I fell in love with paediatrics in medical school. But when I started practising, it became clear this wasn’t just a passing interest.”
He explains that within paediatrics, sub-specialties like paediatric anaesthesia allow for truly holistic care.
“It’s so comprehensive. You look at socioeconomic issues, make sure children are vaccinated, check for adequate nutrition. It’s really a full-picture approach.”
There’s a unique sense of fulfilment, he says, that comes from caring for children.
“Sometimes it’s instant gratification. Like when a child comes in with shock and you resuscitate them, and they respond immediately. In that moment, you feel proud. You know you’ve made a real difference.”
A true calling
Life was good when he was growing up, he shares, except for the fact that there were too many siblings. They were children from different mothers in a polygamous environment. His late father, a businessman, had married around eight or nine women, including some he did not have children.
“I would often feel invisible at home. I felt like no one noticed me for anything. I wasn’t the firstborn, not the last, not the favourite. I was just somewhere in the middle.”
By the time he was old enough to form childhood memories, his parents had already separated. His father passed away when he was just eleven years old.
“I was left under the care of my older sister, Sine Gumede, who was working as a physiotherapist at the time.”
He says that through his work, he has come to understand where his true calling lies. It is in paediatrics.
Gina explains that he connects with children through the simplest things—his voice and a constant smile.
“I think I have a soothing voice. The kids love it.”
Using technology in healthcare
Gina’s love for children goes beyond the hospital ward. He is currently developing a health app focused on paediatric care. As a self-taught coder, he says this project is his way of bringing his passion for children’s health and advocacy to life.
“In district hospitals, we mostly deal with adults, and most doctors are more familiar with adult treatment guidelines. That means some conditions, like TB and HIV, are often underdiagnosed in children.”
He believes children’s health needs far more attention and specialised care.
“Pain management in paediatrics is something I feel is not done well enough. I think a lot of healthcare professionals are simply afraid to prescribe pain medication to children.”
His nearly completed app is designed to support healthcare workers in prescribing and dosing medication for children accurately.
The app works by entering the child’s age and weight, and then it calculates the appropriate dose range. He says it is based on South Africa’s Standard Treatment Guidelines for Paediatrics.
Gina is set to finish his diploma in child health exams in February 2026, as part of his goal to deepen his expertise in paediatrics.
He hopes to secure a position in paediatrics. If that’s not possible, he is also open to family medicine or public health, as he is passionate about health promotion.
“I believe strongly in preventing disease rather than just curing it. That’s where my heart truly is.”
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