Sri Lanka: Primary Care Clinic Yayawatta

Clinic Treats an Average of 21.5 Patients Per Day: Q2 2018

August 08, 2018

Stephney Minerva Fernando

Summary of Activities

The clinic was open 10 days each month to provide free healthcare services to the community of Yayawatta and Seenimodera in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, and the surrounding villages and communities of Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, and Seenimodera. During the second quarter of 2018, we saw an average of 21.5 patients per day, treating a total of 645 patients.

Return to Top

Results &

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

April 2018

211 Patients Treated

  • 211 patients, 96 male and 115 female, were treated at the Real Medicine Clinic in April.
  • There were 135 direct beneficiaries, and the most common illness was viral fever and lower respiratory tract infections, which is due to the climate changes.
  • 38 indirect beneficiaries were treated for lower respiratory tract infections, and 15 indirect beneficiaries were treated for viral fever. Direct and indirect beneficiaries received treatment for 7 types of diseases, and a total of 76 patients were indirect beneficiaries, and they came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Seenimodera, and Moraketi-Ara to obtain treatment at the Real Medicine Clinic.
  • This free health clinic is entirely a gift from Real Medicine Foundation, which has a heart to help our communities that suffer from the tsunami’s destruction and from poverty.

May 2019

219 Patients Treated

  • 219 patients, 103 male and 116 female, were treated at the Real Medicine Clinic in May.
  • The number of direct beneficiaries was 143, and the most common illness was viral fever and lower respiratory tract infections, which is due to the climate changes.
  • 35 indirect beneficiaries were treated for viral fever, and 31 indirect beneficiaries were treated for lower respiratory tract infections. The number of indirect beneficiaries was 76, and they came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Seenimodera, and Moraketi-Ara to obtain treatment at the Real Medicine Clinic. Direct and indirect beneficiaries received treatment for 5 types of diseases

June 2018

215 Patients Treated

  • 215 patients, 99 male and 116 female, were treated at the Real Medicine Clinic in June.
  • There were 138 direct beneficiaries from Yayawatta who received treatment, and the most common illness was viral fever and lower respiratory tract infections, which is due to the climate changes. Direct and indirect beneficiaries were treated for 6 types of diseases.
  • 31 of the indirect beneficiaries were treated for viral fever, and 19 indirect beneficiaries were treated for upper respiratory tract infections. Direct and indirect beneficiaries received treatment for 7 types of diseases. They came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Seenimodera, and Moraketi-Ara. A total of 77 patients came to the Real Medicine Clinic from these surrounding villages.
Return to Top

Background

& Objectives

Background

After completing Real Medicine’s immediate tsunami relief efforts at the Mawella Camp Clinic, a second clinic was opened in Yayawatta in October 2006. The clinic is open for 10 days each month to provide free healthcare services to the community of Yayawatta and Seenimodera in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, and the surrounding villages and communities of Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, and Seenimodera. With no resources to hire private transportation and no access to public transport, the clinic provides the only locally based medical care within the community, easily accessible and within walking distance of most villages and beneficiaries. To expand our reach to the surrounding communities, our primary health care clinic staff conducts off-site clinics at local schools and community centers to provide poor rural children with free checks-ups, and medicines.

Objectives

  • Support the community with free, high quality healthcare services
  • Approximately 94 tsunami-affected families and the surrounding communities in 4 villages: a population of 4,000.
  • Help to create a healthy community, especially amongst the younger generation
Return to Top

More

Photos

Click to enlarge

Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Return to Top

Numbers

Served

Direct Beneficiaries

Patients Treated This Quarter

645 patients

Return to Top

Success

Stories

Sammani

Bronchial Asthma

Sammani is a 14-year-old direct beneficiary who was brought to the clinic by her mother to receive treatment for her reoccurring dry cough with shortness of breath, which she has suffered from for about 5 years. During a thorough clinical history, I learned of her poor school performance over the past few years, which was due to her very low school attendance. After taking this history and conducting a clinical examination, I came to my clinical diagnosis of bronchial asthma with recurrent exacerbations. I wanted to start her on aerosol inhalers, but due to her very poor economic status, I started Sammani with two dry powder inhalers (Beclate and Asthalin) that same day. I trained her on how to use the inhalers and now her asthmatic episodes have dramatically reduced, and her school attendance is good.

10-Year-Old

Anemia

A 10-year-old schoolboy presented to me with complaints of lethargy, sleepiness, short memory impairment, and very poor school performance. Previously he was very active and a bright student in his class. He is hoping to face his year 5 scholarship examination this year.

After taking a thorough clinical history and conducting a clinical examination, I found he is suffering from anemia, a severe iron deficiency. He is a pure vegetarian and has not taken worm treatment for about 2 years. I asked his parents to do a hemoglobin test, the result of which was 7.5g/dL.

The boy was admitted to a hospital following my referral to a physician, where he was transfused 3 pints of blood and has begun iron therapy. Now he is clinically well and performing well in school.

52-Year-Old

Uncontrolled Diabetes

A 52-year-old male came to the clinic with a chronic ulcer over his left big toe. He told me that the wound had been there for about 3 months and he has received treatment from several places, which gave him local applications and multiple antibiotics.

I believed this was not just a simple wound and that there was an underlying issue. I had two main differential diagnoses, and my main thought was uncontrolled diabetes mellitus with a diabetic foot ulcer. I checked the patient’s blood sugar level, which was very high, and I then referred him to a physician with that report.

Due to my early referral, his blood sugar is now under control, and his big toe was amputated without sacrificing the whole foot.