Dr Seydou Sidibé: from Macenta to public health, the journey of a committed Guinean doctor

In the corridors of Guinean medicine, certain paths tell much more than individual success. They tell the story of a vocation, of a family, of a country in search of well-being. That of Dr Seydou Sidibé is one of them.

It all began in the forestry prefecture of Macenta, where he was born as the youngest of six children. A simple childhood, marked by family warmth and a cardinal value: education. His parents, both illiterate, however, have only one ambition for their children: to see them go further than them. “They gave everything so that we could obtain what they lacked the most: academic training,” he says today with gratitude.

Macenta’s child and the promises of the school

At the age of five, while his parents left Macenta to settle in Conakry, young Seydou spent some time with his maternal uncle in the sub-prefecture of Missamana, in the prefecture of Kankan. Too young to be officially registered at school, he was admitted as a free auditor. A way to spend your days, but above all a decisive first contact with the school world.

Later, he joined his parents in Conakry and officially began his schooling at the Matoto 2 primary school. A serious and discreet student, he quickly distinguished himself thanks to his work and the constant supervision of his cousin Mody Sidibé, who followed him throughout his pre-university career. From middle school to Yimbayah high school, his academic path continues with regularity.

An early fascination with medicine

But behind this educational background lies a much older fascination. Often a sick child, Seydou Sidibé was regularly cared for by his paternal uncle, the late Abou Sidibé, chief doctor of Enelgui, a structure that later became Sogel, then the current Electricity of Guinea.

The young boy observes this respected doctor and the impact he has on the community. “I was very fascinated by everything he meant to the community. This gave me a taste for this more than noble profession very early on.” says Dr Seydou Sidibé. Little by little, the idea of ​​becoming a doctor ceases to be a distant dream and becomes a true vocation.

Joining medical school, a difficult obstacle

In 2005, after the two baccalaureate sessions and the university entrance exam, Seydou Sidibé joined the Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry. It is initially oriented in biochemistry. But the young student refuses to give up his goal. “I did everything I could to go into medicine, because it was my childhood dream to treat people,” he reports.

His determination ends up paying off. After several years of demanding studies, he obtained his medical degree in 2012 in the 47th class of the university's medical faculty.

A profession at the service of others

For Seydou Sidibé, medicine is not just a profession. It is first and foremost a human responsibility. “Knowing that people are counting on you to improve their health is both exciting and moving,” he confides. This conviction explains the energy he devotes to his work and his way of approaching each patient with attention.

The pandemic, a personal and professional turning point

The COVID-19 pandemic will have a profound impact on its journey. And for good reason, the doctor will experience it himself. “It was on April 30, 2020 that it all started,” he remembers. That day, while he was consulting in his clinic in Enco5, in the middle of the month of Ramadan, a sudden illness surprised him around noon.

“I thought it was the effect of fasting or perhaps the start of malaria, because I often have an episode of it every year,” he says. But before sunset, his condition deteriorated rapidly. “I could no longer stay on my feet: fever, dry cough, malaise…” the doctor remembers.

Aware of the health situation, he immediately decided to take precautions and isolate himself at home. He sets up what he calls a “health bubble”, with only his wife inside, also a doctor, who administers first aid to him under the supervision of his attending physician.

Faced with the rapid worsening of his condition, a PCR test was carried out on May 2 at the Flamboyants medical center. The verdict is in, he is positive for coronavirus. The doctor's reaction is immediate. He informs his neighbors and all the staff at his clinic.

“I directed everyone to the Flamboyants to get tested. Fortunately, only one of my nurses was positive,” he explains. They are then admitted to an epidemiological treatment center, before being taken care of at the Nongo center. His wife also tested positive and will be released after a week; he and his friend will stay for fourteen days.

From patient to actor in the response

Recovered, the doctor decides to fully commit to the national response coordinated by the National Health Security Agency. His mastery of several languages French, English, Soussou, Poular and Malinké earned him the trust of those in charge to participate in the project. “Stop Covid-19 in 60 days”, based on mobile teams responsible for screening, triaging and managing cases in communities.

Dr Sidibé was deployed in the commune of Ratoma, then one of the most affected areas of the capital. Initially planned for two months, the mission will ultimately last nearly twenty months. “It’s one of my greatest prides as a doctor”, he says. With his team, he contributes to the care of nearly 3,000 people suffering from the disease.

But the work is not just about caring. “We had to overcome phenomenal reluctance and convince families who were hesitant to report sick people”, he remembers. For him, this experience profoundly transformed his vision of medicine. “From then on, I aimed to move up a notch and think about population-based care. ", he said.

The public health revelation

Residing in Canada to this day, he has embarked on a specialization in Public Health. According to him, this discipline opened up a new perspective for him. “Where clinical medicine acts on the individual, public health focuses on populations, systems and prevention. This branch gave me a new vision of health,” he says. Without this discovery, he confides, he would probably have chosen pediatrics.

Always learn, always search

In a scientific world in constant evolution, Dr Sidibé cultivates a simple discipline: learning tirelessly. “The best way to stay up to date is to never stop reading and to constantly educate yourself. I like to search, he said. This curiosity led him to develop scientific collaborations with several international institutions, notably the University of Montreal and Laval University.

Its ambition is to strengthen health in Guinea

But beyond international collaborations, his objective remains deeply focused on his country. “The purpose of this entire journey is to return to make our contribution to the development of the health sector in Guinea,” he says. For him, the Guinean health system must evolve towards a more integrated model and one more adapted to local realities.

A deeply human doctor

Despite his career and his ambitions, Seydou Sidibé remains very modest. “I am an ordinary man”, he said. His main fault, he recognizes, is sometimes too strong empathy. “My empathy is so advanced that it can be confused with sympathy, and this sometimes prevents me from saying no”, he said.

But it is perhaps precisely this sensitivity that best defines the doctor he has become: a professional convinced that science only has meaning if it remains profoundly human. Because behind the doctor and the researcher, there is always this child from Macenta who simply dreamed of treating others.

Mamadou Kindy Bah