The Picture shows Dr. Wimalasiri Uluwatte (Visiting Physcian) and Dr. Ashmo Ranasinghe (Consultant Surgeon) receiving a Colonoscope donated by the Australia Sri Lanka Medical Aid Team on their recent visit to Sri Lanka. They had specifically requested this instrument as the hospital had been trying to cope without one for many months.
In addition to the colonoscope they received a COAGUCHEK machine kindly donated by Roche Medical Systems. This machine analyses finger prick blood and gives an INR reading within thirty seconds. The dosage of anticoagulants such as Warfarin is monitored by regular INR checks. The hospital had previously to send blood to the Matara hospital laboratory and await a result the next day. They are now capable of doing this test in the wards and thus adjusting the dosage of Warfarin which is used so commonly in patients with rheumatic heart disease who have auricular fibrillation. Rheumatic fever is still a common medical condition in Hambantota and surrounding districts.
The consultants also received a complete set of the latest Therapeutic Guidelines kindly given to us as a donation by the Marketing Manager Gary Layton. These books provide the ultimate advice on the use of antibiotics, analgesics etc in the management of all the common conditions. Professor Sharon Lewin - Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Alfred Hospital was a part of the team and she addressed the Galle Medical Society on Hepatitis B. We also did a ward round in the Professorial Medical ward where we were shown medical problems relating to infections and fever.
Medical clinics were conducted at Watawala, Udugama, Seenigama and Maskeliya in addition to the work at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital and the Hambantota Base Hospital. AuSLMAT provides the drugs free of any charge to all the hundreds of patients we see at all these locations.
Our 15th post-tsunami visit to Sri Lanka will be later this year. Soft toys kindly donated by Red Cross Australia were a great hit at the clinics and in the paediatric wards at Galle and Hambantota.
Courtesy - SNNI
|
