National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Kano, has disclosed that it had recorded no fewer than 480 spinal cord injury patients annually, according to its Chief Medical Director, Dr. Muhammad Salihu.
Speaking at the World Spinal Cord Injury Day in Kano yesterday, Salihu said the gruelling complications associated with the injury required some degree of caution in handling with accident patients during a rescue operation, adding that handling patients with spinal cord injury with proper care during accident often reduced the trauma usually encountered.
The event was organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Rebuilding Hope on Wheels Initiatives (RHOWI), to commemorate the Day.
“The hospital receives two patients on daily basis, 10 patients weekly and 40 patients monthly and Seventy per cent of the patients are accidents victims,” he said.
He said following the increasing number of the patients the hospital had to convert a 30-bed ward to spinal cord Centre for the treatment of the patients.
According to him, the hospital had started constructing a 100-bed capacity ward in order to accommodate the increasing number of spinal cord injury patients.
He, however, called on well-to-do persons in the society to support the hospital to enable it complete the ward and put it into use for the benefit of the patients.
In her remarks, the founder of the NGO, Hajiya Amina Abdu said the organisation was committed to promoting increased understanding, knowledge and positive perception of people with disability, especially those affected by spinal cord injury.
“We are also committed to campaign for positive change in health care and Policy so that the needs of spinal injured people/dysfunction are recognised and therefore addressed.
“RHOWI is at the forefront of disability rights movement and removing barriers to people on wheelchairs,” she said.
Abdu called on governments, private and corporate bodies to support the organisation to enable it conduct its programmes, especially on public enlightenment campaign.
