Among patients that admitted to the accident unit, management of patients with spinal cord injury is more complicated & their survival, reducing complication & rehabilitation are challenging. Few years ago survival of these patients was a difficult task. But now using the modern medicine ,they gain ability to live some years amid disabilities. There are special tasks to complete in this mission.
Main requirement is to have a specially trained rehabilitation team & a special treatment unit for their treatments . In developed countries, these kinds of units were started in 1930s.
Patients with spinal cord injury, when treating along with other injuries there is tendency to gain side effects. Therefore, necessity of a special treatment team arises.
Realizing these need, consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr.Narendra Pinto, who wanted to follow the idea of Dr.Chandana Karunathilaka, established a separate ward for patient with spinal cord injuries on 06th April 2011. (Concurrently Asian Conference of Spinal Cord Injuries was held in Sri Lanka in 2011).
Mr.P.K.A.Kithsiri, who is a national trainer for nurses, was appointed by Ministry of Health to train Nurses for this special task. Thereafter, this ward, ward 53 developed as a special unit.
Members of the Unit,
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Consultants & other doctors
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Nurses
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Physiotherapists
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Occupational therapists
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Social service officer
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Minor staff
Other specialties of the ward
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Nurses, therapists & Minor staff have been given a special train.
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Trained nurses visits to ETU when necessary.
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well organized rehabilitation team.
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Patients receive special food according to nutritionists’ advices.
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Supplement of special instrument require for prevention of complications like bed sores.
(Special mattress, beds & rehabilitation instruments)
- Mind relaxing environment
(Mini library, opportunities for sports like Carrom, facilities for handicrafts)
- Special activities are organized.
Throughout the year other than the day to day treatments.
Celebration of New Year, Wesak, Day of disable persons, Musical programme & Christmas.
Staff’s dedication for these activities should be appreciated.
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Family members of the patients receive a special training regarding patient’s urinary control & other complication. And also they are given an opportunity to meet Consultants if necessary. They are provided with printed hand bills .
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Patients, who left the hospital, were given a Hot line number for discuss their problems. 0112 685814 &
Already shown the necessity of this unit under following.
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Patient can leave the hospital early.
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It reduces government expenditure as side accident / effects are minimum.
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Quality of the service is high. (with special training)
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Researches & academic activities are feasible as availability of data regarding the patients.
Already the unit has given an opportunity to gain knowledge for trainees of various fields.
Eg :-
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Medical students
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Nursing students
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Physiotherapists
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Social service officials
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Post graduate doctors
In addition, trained officers have contributed to training programmes island wide
Eg: - Programmes held at, hospitals of Batticalo, Vavniya, Rathnapurra & Ragama.
Scarcity of adequate space for expansion & development of the unit is a Main problem. It is necessary to have a adequate space for handle Wheelchair.
As the first unit of these kinds, established in a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka, our vision is to upgrade this unit & train the staffs of the other teaching hospitals for this special task. A special note has to be made on the ultimate service given with lack of equipment . This unit should have the ultra modern equipment to face the future.
