52 WORLD NEWS
A year in r eview - volu n t eer in g in Bot sw an a in 2023 M ich ael Pr et or iu s, Wor ld Spin e Car e At the start of 2023, I left my life in Johannesburg, South Africa as a chiropractor in private practice, moved to Botswana, and worked as a clinic supervisor and clinician in the World Spine Care clinic at the Mahalapye District Hospital. Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and when you are in an underdeveloped/underprivileged community with crippling back or neck pain, the effect spills over to your family and community. There are many socioeconomic factors involved. Chiropractic care, for the most part, in many developing countries, is unfortunately a very privileged type of healthcare, exclusive to those who can afford it or have medical insurance. There is a huge lack of public health facilities/clinics for any musculoskeletal conditions. I applied to work for World Spine Care, a Non-Profit Organization that sets up spinal health clinics and research programs in underdeveloped countries. Pre-COVID, WSC had clinics in the Mahalapye District hospital with a satellite clinic in the Shoshong village (80 km north). Unfortunately, they have been closed for the last 2 years due to the pandemic and lack of volunteers. Working in public health offers an opportunity to be part of the greater medical team, to help those regardless of their economic situation, and maybe the people that need care the most. Here you are working in the public sector, in the hospitals, receiving referrals from orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and family physicians. You are next door to the Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy departments, two halls away from the X-ray and CT department. So I packed my bags and whatever else could fit into my little car and moved to Gaborone. That same day I arrived, I submitted all the necessary
Michael Pretorius, World Spine Care volunteer
paperwork to BHPC (Botswana Health Professions Council) to register as a chiropractor. I spent a week observing one of the clinics in Gaborone and familiarizing myself with all the paperwork and databases that have to be completed with every patient, and just how different it all is in public health. The biggest initial task was getting the clinic room ready. I went and introduced myself to the superintendent at the hospital, and at the morning meeting, he introduced me to all the hospital staff. We work with Medical Auxiliaries as assistants, similarly trained to nurses, but adapted to working and helping out in any department in the hospital. They are also vital for translation and