By Ashok Ramsarup :: South African Chiropractor – Dr Kumaran Devindran Pillay – quoted a Latin phrase “Valetudo Est Opulentia” meaning  “Your Health Is Your Wealth”, after being appointed Head of Subject for Allied Health and Chiropractic, in the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, at the prestigious University of South Wales (USW) in the United Kingdom.

The institution was established in 2013 following the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport. Dr Pillay’s vision for his 23 members of staff, whom he manages, and for the faculty, and the university at large, is to make the Department of Allied Health and Chiropractic, the best in the world, through evidence-based teaching and clinical practice, research and innovation, and making USW a centre of excellence. The university is very proud to have Dr Pillay onboard since he brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience, coupled with a great passion for healthcare. 

46-year-old Dr Pillay has been riding the crest of a wave since graduating from the elite Durban University of Technology, with a Master’s degree in 2006. He previously worked as a Senior Lecturer and Clinician at the prestigious International Medical University (IMU) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 2011 to 2014, and from 2018 to 2020, after spending four years in between in The Netherlands. For his dedicated service, in 2019 he was awarded by IMU, Chiropractic Lecturer of the Year. He has experience practicing Chiropractic on three different continents, in six different countries, and in nine different cities.

The Verulam-born Chiropractor was also awarded the Dutch Chiropractor of the Year in 2016, by the Dutch Chiropractic Federation (DCF), in recognition of his significant contributions to the Chiropractic profession with regard to patient care in The Netherlands. Dr Pillay was almost unable to attend the award ceremony seven years ago, held at the DCF’s 2016 Annual General Meeting in Bilthoven, The Netherlands, because his wife, Noraini, had to undergo breast conservative surgery, following chemotherapy, for stage 3b Breast Cancer.

Commenting on winning the award, Dr Pillay said: “It was a great honour and privilege to receive this award, especially since he was not a local citizen, and practiced in a foreign language.

He said: ”It truly shows that no matter what one’s nationality, colour or creed, one’s destiny will be fulfilled and still be able to excel, be accepted, and honoured, in improving the quality of life, with continued health care in mind. 

“Every patient deserves the best quality of care as passion and dedication are of the utmost importance,” Dr Pillay said confidently.

Dr Pillay, who finished first in his class, explained how he got involved in Chiropractic. During his pre-university, he discovered the amazing benefits of Chiropractic while playing league football. He suffered from chronic ankle sprains and thus joined a clinical trial for the treatment and prevention of chronic ankle sprains at the Chiropractic Department. After undergoing a series of treatments at the Chiropractic clinic, the ankle sprains improved and to date, has not plagued the energetic doctor.

In 2019, Dr Pillay and his colleague Dr Kamal Parbhoo, provided emergency treatment during a World Spine Day event. They helped in providing life-saving treatment to a student at the Asia Pacific University (APU) in Kuala Lumpur. The student was found lying on his side in a catatonic state for several minutes. The doctors performed various emergency procedures to help him recover from the ordeal.

Dr Pillay is a registered Chiropractic Sports Physician with a Post Graduate Diploma in Sports and Exercise Medicine, armed with an International Certificate in Sports Chiropractic, a Diploma in Sports Psychology, a Diploma in Sports Nutrition, a Diploma in Physiotherapy, and has completed a course by FIFA in Football Medicine. He has worked for various professional sporting clubs and at state-level arenas (football, rugby, athletics, hockey, archery, golf, and dodgeball), with the most notable being PEC Zwolle Football Club, which is currently in the Dutch Premier League.

 In the season 2022/23, Dr Pillay, was the Head of Medical at Baguley Athletic Football Club, in the Altrincham & District Amateur Football League, Manchester. The diehard Manchester United fan played a key role in assisting the first team to gain promotion to the First Division, for season 2023/24.