Responding to the insufficient facilities for integrated treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries patients in the region, well known multi-speciality hospital Trinity Hospital & Medical Research Institute, tucked away in the bylanes of Zirakpur town, near Chandigarh, has announced the launch of its fully equipped Spine & Neuro Rehabilitation Centre.
Making the announcement in a news conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday, a three-member team of doctors and therapist from the hospital, led by its chairman and noted orthopaedic surgeon of the region Dr Mohinder Kaushal, claimed that this level of centre for spine and neuro rehabilitation is the first in the region North of Delhi NCR in the private sector.
Dr Mohinder Kaushal (centre), Dr Mukul Kaushal and Amrita Ghosh addressing the media persons in Chandigarh on Tuesday
Photos By : Life In Chandigarh & Trinity Hospital
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Of course, there is a Punjab government run Regional Spinal Injuries Centre in Mohali, which is basically a social service activity under the state Department of Social Security Women & Child Development. It provides specialised treatment and rehabilitation at subsidised rates to patients with spinal cord injuries from the region and beyond.
Dr Kaushal shared that apart from highly skilled doctors and nurses, the centre has world class infrastructure and well trained physiotherapy team specialised in spinal cord and neuro rehabilitation, a dedicated ICU level ward and 24X7 emergency services.
This writer later also visited the hospital to check out the facilities as claimed in the press conference and returned impressed.
Dr Kaushal, who specialises in arthroscopic knee and endoscopic spine surgery, told your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com that “Spinal cord injuries are known for their profound impact, which can lead up to significantly impaired social, economic, psychological and physical consequences if proper resuscitation, surgical stabilisation and spine and neuro rehabilitation of a patient over a period of time is not done as part of an integrated treatment and rehabilitation protocol.”
He explains that surgery for treatment of spinal cord injuries is just about 30% of the work. The eventual outcomes of the surgery are dependent on a comprehensive rehabilitation programme customised for each individual patient, which can take anything between 9 to 12 months, or even longer.
Dr Kaushal, who is regularly invited to national and international scientific meetings as faculty/guest speaker and conducts CMEs (continuing medical education programmes) and training courses in arthroscopic and endoscopic spine surgical techniques for surgeons in India and abroad, informs that road accidents, falls, sports injuries and assaults have been identified as some of the common causes of spinal cord injuries.
Recognising the gravity of such injuries the World Health Organisation (WHO) has acknowledged it as a major musculoskeletal concern burdening individuals and society as a whole, he adds.
Quoting World Health Organisation (WHO) data, Dr Kaushal says that worldwide every year between 2,50,000 and 5,00,000 suffer a spinal cord injury. While in the advanced countries a vast majority of the cases are a result of road accidents, in India, because of the socio-economic conditions, most of such injuries are caused by fall from heights, especially among construction workers.
He laments that facilities for treatment and rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries in the country are grossly insufficient and need to be urgently bolstered.
Dr Mukul Kaushal, Senior Consultant, Dept of Orthopaedics at Trinity Hospital and Medical Research Institute, adds: “Through our comprehensive rehabilitation programs, we address the specific needs and severity of each patient’s condition.”
Our rehabilitation services include tailored exercise regimens to enhance movement and prevent weakness, social and behavioural skills retraining, cognitive improvement activities, pain and stress management, assistance with activities of daily living, mobility enhancement, muscle control and balance improvement, vocational and nutritional training, and much more.”
Senior Spine Rehab Physiotherapist at the hospital Amrita Ghosh explains that “The goal of neurological rehab is to help you return to the highest level of function and independence possible with the help of a structured conditioning programme. There is also a mental and emotional component of it which improves overall quality of life – physically, emotionally and socially.”
The hospital also houses a busy Ortho & Sports Rehabilitation Centre.
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