When she started her medical internship during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, she was thrown into the deep end, but Dr Yashka Singh did not sink. Instead, she rose above the emotional and physical turmoil and became a better doctor for it, dedicated to providing the best patient care.
Reflecting on her path, Singh shares that her family instilled in her “hard work, dedication, and discipline”, a foundation she says is crucial for anyone in healthcare.
“We were raised to always give our best,” she recalls, crediting her family’s emphasis on education and discipline as instrumental in her pursuit of medicine.
The heartache of the pandemic
After graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2019, Singh began her medical internship during a period that would challenge her in ways she could never have anticipated – the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It was such a surreal time,” she explains. “I had to grow up as a doctor very quickly, there was no time for a student mentality. We had to step in and perform from the get-go.”
The emotional toll, particularly the frequent exposure to patient death, was something Singh did not expect. “To see death at that volume and rate… it was quite a big shock,” she admits.
This intense experience taught her the importance of a work-life balance, a lesson she holds onto even now as she moves forward in her career.
Post-Covid 19, her journey led her to various roles across South Africa’s healthcare system. Working in settings from rural hospitals to private emergency departments, she saw firsthand the disparities in resources and patient care.
“In a resource-rich setting, you can jump immediately to X, Y, and Z, but in rural settings, you’re often limited to A, B, and C. Both ends of the spectrum have shaped me,” she explains.
Finding a work-life balance
Reflecting on the shortage of medical staff in government hospitals, she highlights a critical challenge. “We are chronically short-staffed. Patients have to wait longer, and it just perpetuates a cycle,” she adds.
These experiences have influenced her approach to patient care, teaching her the importance of teamwork and the value of multidisciplinary collaboration.
Outside of medicine, Singh finds solace and expression in dance, a passion that dates back to her childhood. Trained in Bharatnatyam, a classical Indian dance form, she appreciates the discipline and structure it brings to her life.
“Both medicine and dancing took a lot of discipline,” she explains, seeing dance as a creative outlet that complements the often intense, structured nature of her work.
“I can channel all that energy and stress into choreography, creating something beautiful,” she adds, noting how dance has become a source of balance and mental renewal.
Committed to quality healthcare
Despite the systemic hurdles, Singh remains optimistic, seeing each challenge as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Her commitment to both medicine and healthcare reform highlights her belief that meaningful change is possible, even within the constraints of a resource-limited system. As she continues her journey, Singh exemplifies the dedication, adaptability, and vision that healthcare leaders need to shape a more equitable and effective system.
Looking ahead, Singh envisions a future in both clinical practice and healthcare management. Her dream is to become a specialist physician, potentially focusing on areas like cardiology or endocrinology, and she’s equally drawn to leadership roles where she could “make changes within a department or hospital.”
With a strong desire to improve hospital management, she dreams of helping the healthcare system overcome inefficiencies, envisioning a role where she could positively impact the health of an entire community.
Listen to the full interview on the Health For Mzansi podcast:
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