My Story

My name is Dr Clayton Mentoor, and I am an Independent Medical Practitioner. I hail from a small farming town in the Western Cape called Moorreesburg, where I grew up and completed my schooling. After matriculating, I was unsure of the profession I wanted to pursue. Consequently, I took a gap year, knowing only that I wanted to help people and make a difference in some way, inspired by the community I grew up in.

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One afternoon, during a conversation with my mother, she said, “My son, you are going to study Medicine.” At that moment, it dawned on me that this was exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I enrolled at the University of Stellenbosch and, by grace, got accepted to study there. I graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Medicine and Bachelor’s in Surgery. Following this, I completed a two-year internship at Tygerberg Tertiary Hospital.

For my community service year, I was placed in the rural Northern Cape town of Pampierstad. I spent a year at a Community Health Centre and surrounding Primary Healthcare Clinics, treating patients of all kinds and delivering services in and around the community. This was an eye-opening and daunting experience, as I had more responsibility, and the decisions I made had a greater impact than in earlier training years.

During this year, I had to decide the direction I wanted to take. Once registered as an Independent Medical Practitioner, I felt at a loss. During my internship, we were in the middle of the COVID-19 epidemic, which continued into 2020. I mentally and physically needed rest.

I decided to take a few months off from practicing medicine to figure out whether I wanted to specialize and in what field, and if I still wanted to practice medicine as a whole. After some time, I found myself yearning to return to the clinical setting. I did locum shifts at various Primary Healthcare Facilities around the Cape Town area and enjoyed being back in that environment. I subsequently got the opportunity to help out at the Innohealth Clinic at Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre. Working there, and getting to know the patients and the area, was an eye-opening experience. The ability to offer more for my patients in a private healthcare setting, and to provide a more complete healthcare plan, is truly amazing.

What drives me is knowing that in their moment of need, someone will seek me out and trust me with all their concerns. Being able to address their needs, reassure, and guide people during this time gives me great joy and a sense of fulfilment. To see them get better, less concerned, and get answers to their questions is something I strive for every day. I also aim to provide and equip them with the knowledge to help themselves. I believe as medical practitioners, we should strive for preventative medicine and not just reactive. Informing someone of what exactly is happening to them ensures that they understand the process and why we do what we do, such as sending them for tests or prescribing certain medications. 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 prioritize their health and well-being.

I have a keen interest in Primary Healthcare, as I believe this is where we can make the most difference, especially with chronic conditions. Providing adequate patient education and impacting health concerns at the very first level is vital. I also have a great affinity towards pediatric, 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. My father and older brother used to play, and I played some rugby at school. I can no longer play but still get the same excitement and pleasure from watching and supporting from the sideline. Music also forms a big part of my life; you won't find me doing anything without music playing in the background. During my university years, a close friend and I used to DJ at campus events. It started just as a pastime, but in fact, I was realizing one of my childhood dreams. The joy we created and saw is something I will always carry with me.

Since joining Innohealth, I have enjoyed the company's motto and approach to providing adequate, safe, and reassuring healthcare. The patient care is fantastic. The fact that I have got to know so many is amazing, and I look forward to continuing the path with them on their healthcare journey.