Building Sports Medicine in Mauritius: From Vision to Reality with Dr Adisha Bhola
SASMA · South African Sports Medicine Association
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Show Notes
In this episode of the SASMA Podcast, Dr Aasha Parshotam sits down with Dr Adisha Bhola, President of the Sports and Exercise Medicine Association of Mauritius (SEMA) and Chief Medical Officer of the Mauritius Rugby Federation, to explore how a small island nation is becoming a model for integrated, evidence-based sports and exercise medicine in Africa.
Dr Bhola shares her journey from London to Mauritius and the challenges of establishing a sports-medicine system from the ground up. Together they unpack:
- How Mauritius is using exercise prescription programmes to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and hypertension.
- The creation of the Institute of Sports Medicine and the role of public-private-academic collaboration.
- Behind-the-scenes medical planning for the Mauritius Sevens tournament, including tropical health risks and emergency protocols.
- The future vision for sports and exercise medicine in Mauritius — from specialty recognition to embedding exercise in primary care.
This inspiring conversation highlights how leadership, community partnerships, and education can transform athlete care and public health — even in resource-limited settings.