Abdullah Sani Kamis

As a registered and licensed podiatrist, Sani spent over a decade in the UK gaining clinical and research experience in the areas of lower limb pathologies, focusing on rheumatology.

During his early days of training as a podiatrist in the UK, Sani was fascinated by how intricate the structures and functions of the foot were. Cadaveric dissections helped him understand and appreciate the structures and functions of the foot in greater detail. In the final year of his undergraduate training, he was exposed to a variety of conditions, from general podiatric conditions such as plantar fasciitis to more complex cases related to wounds and other conditions associated with chronic underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and rheumatological problems.

Sani has carried out several research activities, including investigating the competency of clinicians in analyzing the quality of lower limb vascular status. His area of interest is the field of rheumatology as he is motivated by the lack of research in caring for those with foot problems associated with rheumatological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Sani is also actively looking into gout as the condition seems to growing concern with the increasingly rich diets that are common around the world.

Sani’s clinical training in the UK started at the Leaf Hospital, Eastbourne. There, Sani was exposed to the various conditions that affect geriatric populations as well as ways to manage complex underlying cases such as those with dependent conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Sani would continue to serve in NHS clinical placements around the London area and the South-east of England including the University of London and the King’s College Hospital Diabetic Foot Clinic, one of the world’s foremost clinics focusing on diabetic foot care. Throughout his training, Sani saw many general foot conditions including skin, nails and musculoskeletal related issues with different complexities. This helped him understand the role of surgical management when dealing with bunions and various surgical foot conditions.

However, as a podiatrist, Sani strongly emphasizes the exploration of conservative approaches before offering surgical options as conservative approaches generally carry a lower risk of irreversible side effects and complications. Conservative options include offering medical orthotics, physical and electro-therapy modalities as well as recommending lifestyle modifications.

Being trained in the west, Sani understands the possible concerns and obstacles in adapting practices adopted by Western healthcare systems into Asian healthcare systems such as his home country of Brunei. To accomplish this, he spent his summer breaks working at the only podiatry unit in Brunei to understand and integrate his Western-based training into the local Asian healthcare system. This revolved around developing an understanding how culture, genetics, climate and other factors affected the way patient conditions presented as well as how healthcare was perceived and delivered.

A firm believer of the saying, “it is a lifetime of learning in medical practice”, Sani was an academic researcher at a university prior to joining East Coast Podiatry. During this time, Sani also served as a clinical tutor at the Leaf Hospital, University of Brighton, UK.

Through his experiences, he developed an expansive network of experts in dealing with a wide variety of foot conditions. This has allowed Sani to tap on a network of expert clinical colleagues to discuss and obtain external advice on rare and complex conditions.

His clinical interests are in rheumatology, podo-paediatrics (children’s feet) and the biomechanics of the foot. This interest has led him to carry out post-graduate studies in rheumatology and work towards his doctoral study in rheumatology podiatry. Due to his years of experience and research into rheumatology, Sani is also an expert of cases such as arthritis, gout and other inflammatory arthritis conditions of the foot and ankle.

Children’s foot health is also a particular area of focus for Sani, as he recognises the significance of promoting healthy and functional feet in their development. Over the years, Sani has provided podiatric care for children with severe flat foot conditions as well as other musculoskeletal problems with underlying neurological conditions. Sani’s calm and friendly personality makes children-clinician interaction less intimidating.

Sani has also been equipped with skills trained by professors from around the world, making him well-versed in the use of both the Focal and Radial shockwaves. Hence, it is his preferred choice for conditions like plantar fasciitis or heel pain and other tendon issues as he often sees effective and swift pain relief for his patients.

In 2015, Sani Kamis was admitted as a member of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow. This prestigious award recognises his contribution to the field of podiatry through clinical and research experience. Through this membership, he is able to regularly update his podiatric knowledge, clinical skills, and network with experts from all over the world.

With his great passion for promoting healthy feet and the podiatry profession, Sani continues to promote awareness on the importance of maintaining healthy feet through regular foot health assessment by qualified podiatrists. He believes regular foot health checks are able to minimize irreversible complications such as deformities and disabilities.

Sani has been a regular volunteer for the Special Olympics Asia Pacific (Brunei) under the “Fit-Feet” program to promote proper foot health among children with learning disabilities. This has given him the confidence and skills in engaging people with special needs and understanding their associated conditions better.