Rehabilitation of 117 spinal cord injury victims

Our services to persons with spinal cord injury is a continuing one since unlike other disabilities, persons with this type of disability need care and assistance for their life time.Our project staff who are trained therapists, continuously monitor and serve the SCI patients in their areas. 

During the last 4 months, we had served a total of 129 persons with SCI. Thanks to our therapies and supply of aids like water and air beds, atleast 8 persons got completely relieved of bed sores ( which is a common problem faced by SCI patients.).  Another 18 persons progressed well enough to become reasonably independent with ADLS and Mobility training. 2 of the patients learned better urine and bladder management thanks to the therapy rendered by our staff and training in the use of catheters and urine bags.

During this period a total of 57 aids and appliances were distributed to needy SCI patients.These include;

5 motorised cycles

1 Air bed;

9 walkers;

8 Wheel chairs;

15 Water beds;

4 Tricycles;

1Crutch and

14 Catheters.

A covid vaccination camp was also held for all the beneficiaries.

During the last 4 months no of persons with Spinal Cord Injury in the project area has gone up to180. As mentioned in our earlier reports this is the most common disability among males in rural Karnataka, caused by fall from Coconut and Tamarind trees, road accidents and also cases involving tractors. While driving a tractor the farmer sometimes trips an electric pole by pulling out the underground cable resulting in the pole falling straight on his back causing serious Spinal cord injury.

These beneficiaries received therepeutic interventions to prevent pressure sores, stiffness and Contracture. Improving mobility, training on wheelchair usage and bowel and bladder managemnt are among the  important interventions carried out by project staff. Various assistive devices and mobility appliances like  water bed, airbed, urine catheter, urine bag, wheel chairs, crutches and walkers are provided to the affected beneficiaries in the project area.

A major intervention by project staff is to provide constant counselling and psychological therapy to improve their spirits, will to live and get back to a certain level of normalcy within the existing constraints.

Project staff also have assisted  a significant number of these people in availing of various benefical schemes of the Federal, State and District level governments in terms of financial assistance, medical rehabilitation, etc.

Unfortunately the persons with spinal cord injuries need continual care for their entire life and the project staff provide them the same in order to reduce the burden on the extended families of such persons, especially since bulk of them come from economically weaker sections of the rural societies.