Flinders University international graduate Ncedo Ludada (MClinRehab ’15) is determined to be a spearhead for change in South African health care and wants to raise this unfortunate statistic. 

With a background in prosthetics and orthotics, Ncedo journeyed to Flinders after winning an Australia Awards Scholarship, allowing him to undertake study in an Australian university.

He pursued a masters degree in Clinical Rehabilitation to gain a greater understanding of how South Africa’s health care system could be improved.

“The current health care system is very discriminative against indigent people, especially people living with physical disabilities, who often require complex treatment,” he says.

“I knew the quality of rehab rendered was inadequate, but I did not know what needed to be done to improve the quality of rehab for our people.”

Flinders international graduate Ncedo Ludada.

Across the world, chronic disease, trauma, and an ageing population are creating more demand for rehabilitation services.

A degree in clinical rehabilitation allows people to use cutting edge technology to improve the livelihood of those with physical health conditions.

The Master of Clinical Rehabilitation degree at Flinders helps students from any allied health background to deepen their theoretical knowledge and advanced skills within clinical rehabilitation practice.

With the valuable assistance of his clinical rehabilitation at OPSA (Orthotics and Prosthetics South Australia) and his practical work at Flinders University, Ncedo was able to realise his passion for helping the disadvantaged members of his community.

“What stood out for me was the comprehensive, coordinated, quality education, and multi-disciplinary health care service provided by Flinders and the Repatriation General Hospital respectively,” he says.

When he returned home after his studies, Ncedo was determined to create a sustainable service that would help people with physical disabilities in South Africa. 

 As part of his scholarship, he developed a Reintegration Action
Plan that focused on making life easier.

He formed a Reintegration Action Plan to make life easier for physically disabled people residing in rural areas of South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, where he comes from.

People with disabilities in the Eastern Cape Province have difficulty accessing the prosthetic and orthotic devices largely due to limited staff and financial resource from the government.

In 2012, the demand in the Eastern Cape was around 1130 patients needing prosthetic devices, yet only 12 specialists were employed by the Department of Health.

Upon return from Australia, Ncedo started working as a lecturer in Orthotics and Prosthetics at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha, South Africa.

His primary duties were on student education, research, management, and community service.

With his knowledge and professional practice gained at Flinders, one of his community activities was a joint venture between the Department of Health and Walter Sisulu University.

This was intended not only to increase access to quality prosthetic devices for indigent amputees, but also to train and expose Walter Sisulu University students to advance prosthetic manufacturing that is only practiced in private healthcare.

The initiative managed to achieve the astonishing feat of helping 188 amputees from disadvantaged communities to access quality prosthetic limbs.

This reduced the patient backlog in South Africa’s Bedford Hospital by an incredible 42%.

The Flinders Clinical Rehabilitation courses allow students to make a difference to those with musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, respiratory, or cognitive conditions.

This initiative was supported by the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program, a program that has supported more than 230 projects in over 60 countries.

This program funded $48,000 to help Ncedo realise his passion.

With his wealth of clinical knowledge gained at Flinders University, Ncedo has established his local business, Ludada and Associate Orthopaedic Services.

His primary vision is to improve on an already great foundation with a self-sustainable clinic that will serve people with disabilities in the Eastern Cape region, regardless of their socio-economic background.

To realise that dream, Ncedo has worked with corporate partners to ensure that Eastern Cape citizens with disabilities receive a sustainable service that will improve social integration, reduce poverty, and quality of life.

For those interested in pursuing clinical rehabilitation, Ncedo has some valuable advice.

“My simple advice would be to absorb as much as you can and maintain contacts for future collaborations,” he says.

For more information on Ncedo’s important work and career background, visit www.ludadaandassociates.com or his LinkedIn page.