An agreement was signed on Wednesday (14) at the Ministry of Health to provide a stock of essential equipment, including special wheelchairs, for the use of patients suffering from spinal cord injuries due to accidents and various diseases.
Health Ministry Secretary Janaka S. Chandragupta signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry of Health with Elder David P. Homer - Asia Area President on behalf of the sponsor, LDS Latter-Day Saints Charities (USA).
Under the first phase, 544 special wheelchairs, 370 mobility aids, and 410 prosthetic items are to be provided. The amount spent for this is over Rs.10 million. The Ragama Hematology and Rehabilitation Hospital is the main hospital established to treat patients with spinal cord injuries. Apart from this, Polonnaruwa Jayanthipura Hospital, Kandy Digana Hospital, Ridgway Arya Lama Hospital, Galle Maliban Rehabilitation Center, Badulla Candagolla Rehabilitation Center and Vavuniya Rehabilitation Center also provide treatment.
The Ragama Hematology and Rehabilitation Hospital alone needs 300 special wheelchairs per year and other centres and hospitals also need wheelchairs.
Most of the patients who suffer spinal cord injury due to an accident are people who are engaged in some profession. These hospitals and centres also take measures to treat the patients who come in an accident and are unable to do anything, and to direct them to some vocational rehabilitation and self-employment.
Acting Health Services Director General Specialist Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe, Legal Officer A.R. Ahmed, Deputy Director of Castle Street Women's Hospital Dr. Dedunu Dias, (LDS) Latter – day saints charities (USA) representing Chad Furness - Asia Area Director of Temporal Affair and Mickey Lui - Area Welfare and Self-Reliance Director participated in this occasion.
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