It is our privilege to introduce Dr Himal Gajjar as the new Managing Partner for SCP Radiology. He takes the reins from Dr Jean de Villiers, who has expertly led the practice for the past six years, but believes that the chapter has come to a natural end for him and will return to the reporting room.

As one of our MSK subspecialists and the previous Branch Manager at SCP Radiology Panorama, Dr Gajjar is well known to many of our referring clinicians.

“Dr Gajjar’s extensive experience, sound judgment, and deep understanding of the practice, referring clinicians’ needs, and patient-centricity, will undoubtedly bring an invaluable new perspective to how we serve the medical community,” says Dr de Villiers. “

As an opportunity to introduce the new Managing Partner, we present a short, to-the-point interview about his career and view on SCP’s services now and in the immediate future.

Please give us an overview of your medical career to date

I completed my medical degree at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital in 2001. My early career included an internship in the North West province, community service in Mpumalanga, and several months as a Casualty Officer at GF Jooste Hospital in Manenberg. I then decided to return to Groote Schuur to pursue specialisation in radiology. I obtained my radiology qualification in 2009.

Having always had a special interest in musculoskeletal imaging, I temporarily moved to the UK in 2011/2012 to complete an MSK Radiology Fellowship at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital. Additionally, I obtained LMCC and FRCPC qualifications from the Medical Council of Canada and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Describe your career and role at SCP

Immediately after qualifying as a radiologist in 2009, I joined SCP. I have been a partner since December 2012 and have played an active leadership role both as a member of the Management Committee and the Branch Manager for Panorama.

How will the new position impact your role as MSK subspecialist?

Although the new responsibilities will require much of my time, I will continue reporting as part of the MSK subgroup.

We are also privileged to welcome Ewoudt van der Linde on board. He is a fellowship-trained radiologist with postgraduate training in sports medicine and extensive subspeciality expertise in musculoskeletal imaging and interventions. His experience working with elite athletes locally, and as the RANZCR Director of Training in New Zealand, will certainly add significant value to the service we can provide to referrers in the orthopaedic field.

How will the new position impact the Branch Manager role at SCP Radiology Panorama?

I am happy to hand the reins to my colleague Vishesh Sood. Since joining SCP, Vishesh has come to know the branch, its referring specialists, and staff very well. I have no doubt that the local operations are in very capable hands and that the transition will be smooth.

What do you hope to achieve in the immediate future?

I am in the privileged position of taking over from Jean de Villiers, a predecessor with exceptional leadership acumen. During his term as Managing Partner, SCP has been very responsive to referrer needs, developments in imaging technology, patient care trends, and industry challenges. We will continue on this path.

We are planning a number of equipment upgrades and additions in the coming year to ensure that our imaging capabilities remain current and efficient at all of our branches. We will keep our referring community informed of these projects through the course of the year.

At the same time, we are actively investing in human resources to strengthen both our clinical skills pool and compassionate approach to patient care. As a practice, our top priority will always remain to uphold clinical excellence and ethical care as part of the larger healthcare community.