Two years ago, Samuha’s Spinal Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) was opened a short distance away from the Early Intervention Centre campus. It is the only rehabilitation centre of it’s kind in the entire state of Karnataka. It is currently equipped to support 6 residential Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) clients for 3 month stays each. Samuha is in the process of expanding the centre to have the capacity to host 16 SCI patients at a time. The SRC is unique in its ability to host clients long term and provide effective rehabilitation throughout their stay.
Following a spinal cord injury in India, most people will spend some time in the hospital, where they may or may not receive physiotherapy treatment. Once they are discharged from the hospital, they return home, sometimes to villages hundreds of kilometers from the nearest hospital. Depending on their financial situation and mobility level, they may or may not be able to transport themselves to see a doctor for follow-up visits. Unfortunately this means that many of them end up spending much of their time lying in bed, without any mobility aids such as wheelchairs to get around in. When asked about this, the head Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) worker at the SRC, Ayallappa, expressed concern that these patients spend most of their time sleeping and depressed in bed. What often happens when SCI clients are not well educated on their condition and do not receive the support the need, is that they end up spending too much time in certain positions and develop pressure sores. Without the proper attention, these pressure sores will worsen and likely become infected, leading to a very poor outcome.
When clients are admitted to the SRC for their 3-month stay, they are provided with a rural wheelchair (3 wheeler chair for rough terrain), a bed and 3 square meals a day. They are also able to use all the facilities on site, which include, a rehabilitation gym, accessible bathrooms, accessible laundry facilities, gardens and a learning hall. They are cared for by staff on site and are rehabilitated in the gym by CBR workers during the day. Many of them come to the SRC with pressure sores and the staff diligently clean and dress them to allow them to heal. They also often have to learn to sit independently, transfer in and out of bed into their new wheelchair and complete all the strengthening and stretching exercises they are given by Ayallappa. Over the course of their stay they become independent in their mobility and develop really strong upper bodies!
A physician from Koppal has started volunteering his time to come to the SRC every 15 days to ensure the patients are medically stable and provide them with any medications or treatment they require. He has also started teaching the CBR workers how to properly care for the pressure sores and how to monitor for signs and symptoms that might require medical attention. He is also able to provide them with professional consultation on equipment they may benefit from.
Now that you know about all the wonderful things happening at the SRC, could you imagine if they were able to address some of the missing pieces? Firstly, if they had air or water mattresses to sleep on, their incidence of pressure sores would decrease (according to the physician) by 50%. Secondly, if they were able to provide waterproof and more durable cushions for the wheelchairs this would help with longevity of the cushion and also to decrease the incident of pressure sores. Thirdly, the supplier that they get the specialized rural wheelchairs from has stopped providing those wheelchairs. Samuha is now unsure how they will be able to purchase these chairs to provide to their clients. If you know of a good supplier, please contact Phil. Lastly, since it is the only centre of it’s kind in the state, they are not able to accommodate even close to the number of people that could benefit from a stay here. Samuha has been cautious about spreading the word about SRC, because they know the demand will be so high and they won’t have the resources to provide a high quality of care to all those who could benefit. It’s unfortunate to know that some people may be stuck inside because they haven’t received the care they need post discharge from hospital. They are currently in the process of expanding, but this will only add 10 beds. So many more would benefit from this amazing centre!
During the day, we have started running group exercise classes to keep everyone engaged and they have really enjoyed being able to play their own music through our mini portable speaker. The guys also love when we get a group volleyball game going outside and you can tell the social aspect of the SRC is extremely beneficial. When asked by a prospective patient’s wife whether or not her husband should become a resident, all of the current residents raved about their experience at the SRC and how much strength, mobility and independence they have gained. We all look forward to our days spent at the SRC because the atmosphere is calm, laid back and friendly. Samuha has definitely created a great atmosphere for recovery and we’re so grateful to play a role in it.
– Krysta, Josina, Sara, & Madison (UBC Physiotherapy Candidates)
Phil Sheppard 