by Dilanthi Jayamanne
A Survey conducted by the Health Ministry has revealed that over eight percent the population is disabled. The spokesman for the Health Ministry said yesterday that war, sickness and natural disasters were the main cause of the situation.
The development in the health services have increased the life span of people thereby contributing to the increase in the number of elderly. This has increased the numbers of persons susceptible to-non communicable diseases such as diabetes, and strokes. Over hundred amputations take place at the National Hospital annually due to diabetes. An average of six hundred amputations is carried out in the country annually.
The Health Ministry has prioritised services provided to the disabled under the National Health Service programme. It has included the treatment of disabled health services into the health care training given to health workers. The Ministry has also recruited a large number of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists into its cadre. The spokesman said the dearth of those three categories earlier had been a problem in treating the disabled.
He said that two INGOs, Nippon Foundation and the Cambodia Trust, in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Hospital in Ragama, had initiated an internationally recognised degree in the production of artificial limbs. In addition rehabilitation services had been initiated at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Trincomallee Hospitals. Rehabilitation hospitals have been established in Digana Kandy, Kendagolla, Badulla, Maliban Hospital, Galle and Jayanthipura Polonnaruwa.
In addition to this the Ministry will also establish a rehabilitation hospital in each district, the spokesman added.
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