The Order of the Baobab in Silver

Dr Sayed Mohamed Ridwan Mia Awarded for:

His excellent contribution to the field of medicine and giving hope to victims devastated by burn injuries.

Profile of Ridwan Mia

Ridwan Mia is a young doctor who goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that his patients get the medical care they deserve. Mia hails from Lenasia in the south of Johannesburg. He is the son of Sayed and Farida Mia who are known for their philanthropic and social contributions to underprivileged communities in Johannesburg.

After completing matric at the Marist Brothers’ Sacred Heart College in Observatory, Mia obtained a MBBCh degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1999. He qualified as a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, gaining his fellowship with the College of Medicine of South Africa in 2011.

In 2010, the Congress of the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of South Africa appointed Mia as the winner of the best pre-clinical/research paper, recognised by the Congress of the Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of South Africa in 2010. His work goes beyond the concept of plastic surgery being a superficial beauty industry.

Mia performed the first cloned skin grafting procedure in Africa on the three-year-old Isabella “Pippie” Kruger, who captured the hearts and minds of the South African public. Pippie was involved in an accidental explosion at a family braai in which 80% of her body was burnt. She was given only a 10% chance of survival.

Mia worked with a team comprising Drs Murdoch, Christofides, Mukaddam, Robertson and Bartlett in the procedures restoring hope of even family members.

Mia’s work brought into practice the concept of global cooperation, when he involved the Genzyme Laboratory in Boston, USA, that used small patches of skin removed from Pippie’s groin to cultivate new skin cells.

Working under scrutiny and feeling the extreme pressure of being responsible for her healing, Mia showed courage that goes beyond the training of a physician. He succeeded in performing a very delicate procedure, bringing hope to the family, as well as to countless other burn victims. He recently performed the second such procedure in Africa on young Celiwe Maseko, a five-year old girl with 35% burns.

He continues to do work with organisations like the Smile Foundation to bring specialised operations to underprivileged children in South Africa, raising funds from the corporate sector for this work, as well as seeking to establish a tissue engineering skin culture laboratory in South Africa. This is anticipated to make cutting edge medical technology available to all South African burn victims.