My Story

My name is Dr. Clayton Mentoor and I am and Independent Medical Practitioner. I hail from a small farming town in the Western Cape called Moorreesburg. Here I grew up and completed my schooling. After I matriculated, I was quite unsure of what profession I wanted to pursue. I subsequently took a gap year as I was quite clueless. All I knew was that I wanted to help people and in a position where I could make a difference to someone. This is all I saw in my house and the community I grew up and I too wanted to give back in any way I can. 

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One afternoon my mother and I where having a conversation and she told me.” My son, you are going to study Medicine.” In that moment it dawned on me that this is exactly what I want to do with my life and where I need to be. I enrolled and by grace I got accepted to study at the University of Stellenbosch. I graduated from the University of Stellenbosch in 2018 with my Bachelor’s in Medicine and Bachelor’s in Surgery. Following this I completed my training of Internship at Tygerberg Tertiary Hospital, for 2 years.

For my community service year I was placed in the rural Northern Cape town of Pampierstad, where I spent a year in a Community Health Centre and surrounding Primary Healthcare Clinics, seeing to patients of all kinds and delivering services in an around the community. This was quite and eye-opening and daunting experience, as you have more responsibility and the decisions you make have a greater impact as compared to earlier in your training years. 

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You have less supervision as compared to earlier in your training years and this year prepares you for functioning on your own as a medical practitioner. It was strenuous work and quite frankly scary at times. I can only be thankful for the great team I worked with and the great mentorship I received from my senior colleagues and doctors at the hospitals we referred to. 

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During this year I had to decide in which direction I wanted to head. Once registered as an Independent Medical Practitioner, I was at a loss. During my Internship, we were right in the middle of the Covid-19 Epidemic, which continued into 2020. I mentally and physically needed rest.

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I decided to take a couple of months off from practicing medicine, to figure out for myself whether or not I wanted to specialise and if so in what specific field. Also to decide if I still wanted to practice medicine as a whole. After some time, I found myself yearning to be back in the clinical setting. Treating patients, making and finding diagnosis’s, doing procedures, working within the team setting, and mostly being able to communicate with people and help them in their time of concern and need. I did locum shifts at various Primary Healthcare Facilities in and around the Cape Town area and quite enjoyed being back in that environment. I subsequently got the opportunity to help out at the Innohealth Clinic at Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre. This was a new environment, with new challenges and something I had not put much consideration into doing. Working there, and getting to know the patients and the surrounding area was an eye-opening experience. The ability to offer more for my patients in the private-healthcare setting, and being able to provide a more complete healthcare plan is truly amazing.

What drives me is knowing that in their moment of need someone will seek you out and in that vulnerable state trust you with all their concerns. Being able to address their needs, and reassure and guide people during this time gives me great joy and a sense of fulfillment. To see them get better, less concerned, and get answers to their questions is something I strive for every day. Also to provide and equip them with the knowledge to help themselves is something I always make sure to deliver. I believe as medical practitioners we should strive for preventative medicine and not just reactive. To inform someone of what exactly is happening to them to ensure that they understand the process and why we are doing what we do when we send them for tests or prescribe certain medications for instance. I wish to provide the best medical service I can each day, tailored to the needs of everyone I come across. To empower them and to prioritise their health and well-being. 

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I have a keen interest in Primary Healthcare as I believe this is where we can make the most difference especially when it comes to chronic conditions. Providing adequate patient education and impacting health concerns at the very first level. I also have a great affinity towards peadiatric, obstetric, and orthopaedic medicine. In the future, I wish to venture into Sports Medicine as a speciality as this has always fascinated me. I also wish to create trusting relationships with everyone I come across to provide the best medical care I can for them.

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In my downtime, you will find me at the nearest stadium watching live rugby, as this is my favourite sport and pastime. It is something that has been a part of my life since before I can remember. My father and older brother used to play, I myself played some rugby at school. I, unfortunately, cannot anymore but still get the same amount of excitement and pleasure from watching and supporting from the side-line. Music also forms a big part of my life, you won't find me going anywhere or doing anything without music being played in the background. During my university years, a close friend and I used to DJ at campus events. It started just as a past-time when in fact I was realising one of my childhood dreams. The joy we created and saw is something that I will always carry with me.

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Since joining Innohealth I have enjoyed the motto of the company and how we go about providing adequate/safe and reassuring healthcare. The patient care is fantastic. The fact that I have got to know so many is amazing and look forward to continuing the path with them on their healthcare journey.