UKZN medical student invited to speak at international meeting

Mohamed Hoosen Suleman, a fifth-year medical student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), whose mentors and peers in the medical fraternity regard him as a student who embodies the core principles and ideals of inspiring greatness, has been invited to speak at the World Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology meeting in Muscat, Oman on Monday November 6.

Mr Suleman is one of five medical students from around the world who have been invited to represent their respective countries and present to the federation.

He has been selected to do a 90-minute presentation on the importance of ultrasound and related radiological advancements in medical diagnostics. Mr Suleman, who is currently undertaking his psychiatry clinical rotation at the Townhill Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, will be joining medical students from Belgium, Switzerland, Nigeria and Gambia.

Mr Suleman said he is honoured to have been invited to present at this important meeting on medical ultrasound.

“I certainly look forward to the critical discussions and debates that will take place with medical experts from different specialties,” he said.

“These discussions will focus centrally on advancements made in elastography, portable ultrasound, innovations such as artificial intelligence, 3D/4D, interventions and contrast agents.

“Ultrasound is playing a crucial role in health care provision particularly in disciplines such as Obstetrics and Gynecology. This has significantly assisted in the delivery of quality health care to pregnant women and their unborn infants as well as in reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. I will present on the importance of ultrasound education in South Africa and share a perspective on the increasing usage of point-of-care-ultrasound in emergency medicine.”

Earlier this year, Mr Suleman was shortlisted to represent South Africa and attended the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen, Denmark and the World Health Assembly held at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

In May last year, Mr Suleman was conferred with the prestigious World Health Organisation (WHO) Changemaker Scholarship in Geneva. This was awarded to only three medical students globally. Among some of his notable accolades, he is also counted among the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans, and he serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Medical Students (IJMS).

Mr Suleman is widely known as a dedicated medical youth activist and is a recipient of multiple awards and accolades in the medical field.

His accolades received include both local and international honours. The aspiring medical doctor has been recognised by the WHO for his efforts in tackling antimicrobial resistance and many other public health threats with a core focus on resource-limited settings like Sub-Saharan Africa.

UKZN granted special awards to Mr Suleman throughout his undergraduate medical career. He has been described as a student who embodies the core principles and ideals of inspiring greatness.

The Head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Dr Sandile Tshabalala extended his congratulations to Mr Suleman and wished him well. Senior Advisor within the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and UKZN Convocation President, Dr Qiniso Mlita said Mr Suleman is a young leader with an indomitable will.

“He is one of our very own and we are well acquainted with his limitless potential to raise the flag and banner of both South Africa and UKZN. I personally congratulate him on this opportunity he is granted, and I look forward to his feedback to the DoH and UKZN upon his return from the trip,” said Dr Mlita.