SPANA has a small centre in Khemisset, immaculately run by Dr Hinnach. On my first morning I met up with Dr Hinnach, excited about the prospect of following his mobile clinic team on their regular trip to the remote hill town of Tiddas. Five days a week the centre operates a mobile clinic serving seven towns in the surrounding area. Here SPANA treats working animals, but also takes its role educating onwers in animal welfare equally seriously.
The souk in Tiddas is held weekly and is the hub of the local rural community, with people coming from many miles around. Most shoppers arrive on their donkeys, mules and horses, with large empty panniers to be filled for the journey home. It’s a perfect place for the SPANA mobile clinic to set up shop!
After making my way through the bustling market I came upon the SPANA mobile clinic, already up and running, with a patient group of owners waiting politely. I watched with interest as a variety of cases were presented to the SPANA vets.
Two donkeys had sores caused by poorly fitting bits. These were replaced and the thankful owners went on their way. A little later, the team examined two donkeys with nasty infections resulting from wounds. After an initial assessment it was decided that they needed to be transported back to the centre for further treatment. The worried owners agreed. You can see the donkeys arriving at our Khemisset centre in this video.
The owner of another horse with a stone in its salivary gland, formed from mineral secretions, also agreed to bring his animal into the centre in Khemisset for surgery. It’s a hive of activity around the mobile clinic. The mobile clinic team worked flat out to see as many animals as they could.
It was fascinating and inspiring to see a SPANA mobile clinic at work in such a remote community, but all too soon it was time for me to return to the centre in Khemisset.
Back at the centre, I saw the two donkeys from the souk arrive and Dr Hinnach showed me some other patients he had been treating.
The first patient we looked in on was a donkey being treated for a deep wound to the hindquarters, which Dr Hinnach suspects was done by somebody with a gripe against the owner. The wound had been sutured and was healing excellently.
The veterinary team were dealing with a wide variety of problems: abscesses, chronic mastitis in a very old mare, an infected leg wound, mange and a case of hoof deformity. I was incredibly impressed by how immaculate and well organised the centre was. Every animal was receiving an excellent standard of care.
A brighter future.
The centre clearly has an impact on animal welfare in the region. Dr Hinnach told me they see fewer wounds caused by poor harnessing than they used to, thanks to years of owner education. In fact, most of the conditions I saw during my trip were accidental or infectious, and not caused by maltreatment or neglect, which is testament to the dedication of the Khemisset team and the impact they are having on local communities.
Jane Harry, Veterinary Programme Advisor
