Healing with heart, leading with purpose

From the hallways of Oshakati Intermediate Hospital to the operating room, Dr Bubbles Udjombala has built a career defined by resilience, compassion and dedication to maternal health.



As a young girl from Endola, Udjombala attended Etosha High School before earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Life Sciences and Biology at Stellenbosch University. She later pursued a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Namibia, graduating in 2018.



Starting her internship in 2019, Udjombala entered the medical field amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I finished my internship in 2021, right at the height of the pandemic. It was a baptism by fire,” she recalls. She now works as a medical officer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Oshakati Hospital - in the same ward she was born.



Defining moments in medicine

Udjombala’s most meaningful experiences are not grand milestones but everyday victories. “It’s the subtle wins when a patient recovers after a long hospital stay or when a mother shows you a picture of the baby you delivered. It’s in those moments,” she says. “Seeing interns grow from mentees to colleagues is also deeply rewarding. When your seniors invest their time and knowledge in you, it’s a push in the right direction.”



According to Udjombala, practicing medicine requires constant growth. “You have to evolve, it’s not just what you learn in school but how you apply it in life,” she says. One of her biggest challenges is systemic working with limited resources. “We do the best with what we have while pushing for better. It won’t happen overnight, but it’s not impossible.”

Currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health, she hopes to shift Namibia’s maternal health system towards prevention. “Call me old school, but prevention really is better than cure.”

Her vision is to influence policies that promote long-term community health rather than focusing solely on treatment.



Finding balance

Despite the demands of her career, Udjombala makes time for personal joys. "I’m learning to really be off when I’m not at work," she says. She finds peace, reading a good book, taking brisk evening walks or tending to her 50 plants. A self-proclaimed travel enthusiast, she makes full use of her Gondwana card, exploring Namibia’s breathtaking landscapes whenever she gets the chance.

"It’s important to carve out time for yourself, even in a demanding profession."

Udjombala encourages aspiring doctors to enter the field with passion. She believes success in this field requires teamwork, resilience and lifelong learning. “If you’re passionate about medicine, we can’t wait to have you!”