Polonnaruwa has developed and so has the orthopaedic sector
The following is the fresh report by me made in 2013.
The picture shows orthopaedic surgeons, nurses and all staff in the brand
new conference hall of Polonnaruwa Hosptial
The Sri Lanka Orthopaedic Assossiation on the 18th of May 2013 conducted a
workshop
at the newly built two storeyed hospital building within a large 100 ft
x 100 ft auditorium.
Our workshop was intentioned to upgrade orth. work.
150 nurses attended showing sustained interest in the lectures and
plaster casting hands-on work over 6 hours!
In recent years a permanently stationed orthopaedic surgeon functions with
five assistant doctors.
In comparison, in 1984 as I came to the mighty General Hospital Colombo I
had just one House Officer.
The surgeon has enough and more operating time and theatre facilities using
the Image Intensifier for guided surgery.
Soon they will have one more orth. Surgeon ( yet training in Colombo.)
Showing similar expansion elsewhere in the country, Sri Lanka now has over
40 govt.orth. Surgeons across all areas in the country-up from a bleak 10
only 15 years ago.
The health budget is raised this year to Rs 120 billion, possibly at 3% of
the GNP- I am guessing. It was 2% or less in the previous years.
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena himself is an efficient low profile
organizer who has received rare official recognition abroad.
According to locals even his opponents are well disposed towards him.
Looking back 10 years, Polonnaruwa is a far cry from what it was on my
visit then to the hospital. With many war injured around there soon after
that Ceasefire.
As an aside on other Polonnaruwa developments, the all island winner Miss
Sri Lanka was from Polonnaruwa and I was there fitting artificial limbs the
day she was felicitated at an all night musical show.
The main roads are superb with a busy bus service to all parts of the
country even in the nights.
A vexed issue is the occurrence of far too many with chronic renal disease
(CKD) , affecting mostly farmers over 40 yrs. Mostly males.
The physician who has been working there 4 years said that this incidence
and pattern of renal disease did not prevail in Chilaw where he worked for 3
years, nor Kandy.
The cause is of CKD is obscure yet, bio-concentration of pesticides in plant
produce being a possible cause among many.
Misuse of agrochemicals may come high up as a factor.
Mercury and Cadmium are less likely than highlighted in the daily media.
Drinka many a pinta water can do good, do no harm and also reduce problems
like renal ones.
Of course, travelling comfortably in a tourist bus, we visited the new ECHO
Park wild life sanctuary hair on end seeing 30 roaming elephants,
And the Minneriya Park with so many birds this time of year,
Finally we happily plopped at a rocky jungle waterfall for a last bath
followed by string hopper lunch, 3 Km off the beaten track.
A good time!
Susiri W
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