Whilst travelling in Gambia I spent three months at a Physiotherapist Lab. The Physiotherapist was Momodu Darboe who had been running the clinic since 2007, previously he was employed by a second division club in The Gambia and by the National football team.
Darboe was trained by a man who he calls his Master (his father). This training started from early teens whereby Darboe would assist his father at their clinic. Locals who would attend the clinic generally could not afford to use the hospital due to no free service, expense and many times hospital malpractice.
The main activity at Darboe’s Lab was resetting bones with homemade bamboo splints, dealing with dislocations; secondary was everyday musculoskeletal injuries.
Darboe is also involved his local team Brufut United FC, whereby he treats players at his Lab and on the field.
Three times a week I would attend Darboe’s clinic and assist him with treating his patients with ages from two years old to pensioners. Darboe would take a short verbal subjective assessment from the patient, then start treating the patient many times feeling for breakages, dislocations or soft tissue injury. The Lab is always full and after dark Darboe would do home visits.
Darboe’s assistants support him holding patients while he sets broken bones and dislocated limbs using bandages on injuries with homemade bamboo splints. Patients would come back every week to make sure bones were still aligned. Bandages would be used at least three times.
Darboe’s main treatment was massage using natural shea butter mixed with a bark of a tree that has healing properties.
The environment had no clinical waste disposing, quite shabby room, no analgesic also members of public sometimes supporting with treatment of other patients they had just met in a ‘Local Community way’.
The football team Brufut United FC whilst training everyday where frequently having injured players due to the lack of stretching exercises, no shin pads, no evidence based exercises. Even with all this lacking they have Just won their league and were being promoted to Division one.
This experience left me feeling lucky that we still have a Free health service. We say we are under resourced, it could be a lot worse, no wages, no resources, no training, No health services. As in Darboes’ case creative use of talent and Love for the community go a long way. (March 2016)
