Sri Lanka: Primary Care Clinic Yayawatta

Clinic Helps 646 Patients: Q4 2018

February 09, 2019

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, Seenimodera, and Morekati-Ara. During the fourth quarter of 2018, we saw an average of 21.5 patients per day, treating a total of 646 patients.

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Results &

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

October 2018

215 Patients Treated

  • 215 patients, 99 male and 116 female, were treated at the Real Medicine Clinic in October.
  • The number of indirect beneficiaries was 135, and the most common illness was viral fever due to weather changes.
  • A total of 80 patients were indirect beneficiaries, and they came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Moraketi-Ara, and Seenimodera to obtain treatment at the Real Medicine Clinic. 28 indirect beneficiaries were treated for viral fever.
  • Direct and indirect beneficiaries received treatment for 9 types of diseases.
  • Real Medicine Clinic provided medications freely to all patients.

November 2018

216 Patients Treated

  • 216 patients, 104 male and 112 female, were treated at the Real Medicine Clinic in November.
  • There were 139 direct beneficiaries from Yayawatta who received treatment. The most common illness was lower viral fever, due to weather changes.
  • Direct and indirect beneficiaries were treated for 9 types of diseases.
  • A total of 77 patients came to the Real Medicine Clinic from the surrounding villages. 28 of the indirect beneficiaries were treated for viral fever. They came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Moraketi-Ara, and Seenimodera.
  • Real Medicine Clinic provided medications freely to all patients.

December 2018

211 Patients Treated

  • 211 patients, 99 male and 112 female, were treated at the Real Medicine Clinic in December.
  • There were 135 direct beneficiaries from Yayawatta who received treatment. The most common illness was viral fever, due to weather changes.
  • Direct and indirect beneficiaries were treated for 9 types of diseases.
  • A total of 76 patients came to the Real Medicine Clinic from the surrounding villages. 23 of the indirect beneficiaries were treated for viral fever. They came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Moraketi-Ara, and Seenimodera.
  • Real Medicine Clinic provided medications freely to all patients.
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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
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More

Photos

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Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
Real Medicine Foundation - more photos.
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Numbers

Served

Beneficiaries

Patients Treated This Quarter

646 patients

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Success

Stories

10-Year-Old

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

A 10-year-old boy came to the clinic with his mother due to a small skin ulcer that had not healed over a duration of 2 weeks. He had tried various medications, taken both orally and topically, but his ailment was not cured. After carefully taking the patient’s history, the RMF doctor learned that the boy sustained an insect bite about two weeks back. He suspected leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease, and referred the patient to a dermatologist. At the dermatological clinic, he was diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis following a histological examination. He is currently being treated for the condition.

12-Year-Old

Hypothyroidism

A 12-year-old schoolboy came to the clinic suffering from a loss of appetite, lethargy, bowel habit changes, recent remarkable weight gain, and very poor concentration on his schoolwork. He had tried several treatments on different occasions, but they only resolved the symptoms temporarily, and a proper diagnosis had not been made. The RMF doctor carefully took the patient’s history and examined him. During the examination, he found moderate swelling on the patient’s neck and suspected a thyroid hormone imbalance. He diagnosed the patient with hypothyroidism. Now, he is on regular thyroxin hormonal treatment, and all of his symptoms have been reduced.

58-Year-Old

Arthritis

A 58-year-old female patient came to the clinic with swelling and severe pain of the left knee joint for a duration of about one month. She had tried two treatments before coming to the Real Medicine Clinic, but neither had resolved the condition. The RMF clinician carefully examined the patient and found arthritis of the left knee joint with knee joint effusion. He then referred her to a rheumatology clinic for further management, after giving her strong analgesics to relieve the pain. She has undergone aspiration of the knee joint effusion and is now on analgesics and regular physiotherapy treatment.