You have to be ‘mental’ to be a doctor in SA…
Film zooms in on strains and risks of 30-hour shifts
FRANCOIS Wahl has been surrounded by doctors for most of his life. His father, brother and wife are doctors.
This close-up view of the gruelling realities and damaging effects of a doctor’s long working hours inspired him to make Doc-U-Mentally – Last Doctors Standing, which is to be released later this month.
“Doc-U-Mentally is an unadulterated medical film about doctors on call answering almost every question people have regarding the profession,” Wahl said.
“In addition to campaigning for better working conditions, the film tells a great story.”
The film features five doctors from diverse backgrounds, each attending to a call, racing against the clock during their shift to do the best they can under gruelling conditions.
“I wanted to produce a film showing things the way they are,” says Wahl, a chartered accountant.
“The main focus was to show the race against time for these doctors and how working 30-hour shifts affects their mood, performance, stress and anxiety levels, and personal safety.”
The movie is set mainly at the Ngwelezana Hospital in Empangeni, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
It is not for the squeamish as it shows real-life images of stab wounds, gashes that need to be sewn up, people who have almost drowned, and everything in between – all of them typical of the cases junior doctors are confronted with.
“We filmed in operating theatres and emergency rooms, and wanted to portray things the way they truly were,” Wahl says.
“The case that most breaks my heart is a baby with water on the brain who comes in with severe vomiting. You realise there’s a lot of hurt and pain in the world that doctors are exposed to almost every day.
“My fantastic crew, Meyer Productions, became nauseous at times while filming. The toughest assignment for our director of photography, André Meyer, was filming a lung-drain the doctors had to perform on a patient who had been stabbed.”
Wahl is hoping his film will be licensed by one of South Africa’s broadcasters.
The film features Dr Saishrien Rasen in the surgery unit, Dr Yenziwe Ngema in orthopaedics, Dr Wanele Ganya in paediatrics, Dr Amy Salvesen in emergency medicine, and Dr Lourens Wahl in casualty.
Wahl wanted to feature five culturally different doctors so as many South Africans as possible could relate to the documentary.
“Each of the cast members brings something special to the film. If you want to see acts of bravery and people going beyond their limits, these doctors embody these characteristics.
“Their participation in the film was motivated by a professional and personal responsibility to lead the change, not only in improving gruelling working hours, but in shedding light on the psychology of the plight of junior doctors.
“(The aim was also) to bring to the fore other issues that need to be addressed, such as the shortage of medical personnel and the danger they face of HIV infection.
“I think the film captures the heart and soul of what they experience. The long working hours take their toll. You’ll see, as the movie progresses, how sleep deprivation starts having an impact on their emotions, stress levels and performance.”
Doc-U-Mentally will be screened on September 17 at the Jozi Film Festival and on September 18 at the UGU Film Festival in Margate, KwaZuluNatal.