By Asma’u Ahmad
The Brain and Spine Surgery Consortium, Abuja, has urged key organisations handling accidents and emergencies to give necessary training on advanced life support care for road accidents victims.
The Consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr Douglas Akor made the call while briefing newsmen as part of programme lined up to commemorate the Spinal Cord Injury Day in Abuja. This year’s theme is: “Yes We Can,”is challenging perceptions of what it means to have a spinal cord injury.
Dr Akor stressed the need to train key organisations like the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Police, civil defence and other paramilitary organisations on first aid treatments for spinal injured patients.
“The key organisations should be educated and trained on how to handle spinal cord injured patients. Such people could have minor or incomplete spine injury, but due to improper handling of their first aid cases, it could led to complete spinal cord injury.
“Malaria and polio are one of high agenda of the ministry of health, victims of the road accidents should be given intra and inter patient transfer, an important aspect of patient care which is often undertaken to improve upon the existing management of the patient.
“It may involve transfer of patient within the same facility for any diagnostic procedure or transfer to another facility with more advanced care. If a patient of spinal cord has a chance of recovery at all, he should be sent to where there is quality care,” he said.
The Chairman, Physical Rehabilitation Foundation, Mr Chibuikem Mbamalu, called for spinal cord injury centre for accidents victims, saying it would aid quick rehabilitation.
“Unfortunately, the country does not have a single rehabilitation home where people can access quality care as it is being done in some advanced countries. In such centres, there will be counselling for spinal cord injured patients educating relatives of victims on how to care for their loved ones.”
Mbamalu said that the physiotherapist, neurosurgeon, doctors and clinical psychologists were usually involved in the post-hospital care of spinal cord injured patients.
The Chief Executives of Flying Doctors, Nigeria, Dr Ola Brown, said Nigeria has one of the highest spinal injury rates in the world. She said that most spinal cord injuries occur due to road accidents, saying it affects people between the ages of 18 and 45 years.
“In developing countries, it is the immediate family members that bear the burden financially, proper care for victims are quite high, especially for prolonged treatment. “It is really an important issue to draw awareness of Nigerians on the day, and there is need for them to be more conscious of the problem,” Brown said.
The Managing Director of Zitadel Medical and Diagnotics Ltd., Abuja, Dr Olumide Alao said that public palaces should have parking lots for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for easier accessibilities.
He called for Public Private Partnership to assist the PWD, saying that a law should be enacted by government for PWD to have quality education, employment and healthcare services.
Newsmen report that World Spinal Cord Injury Day holds every September 5, with the aim to increase awareness on proper care of victims.
This global day is an initiative of the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) and promotes disability inclusion throughout the world.
