Sri Lanka: Primary Care Clinic Yayawatta

Closing out a Consistent Year of Outreach: Q4 2015

February 12, 2016

Summary of Activities

Project Objectives

  • Support the community with free, high quality healthcare services
  • Help to create a healthy community, especially amongst the younger generation

The clinic was 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.

Project Beneficiaries

  • Community members in Yayawatta, who lost their livelihoods and loved ones in the tsunami
  • Lower income families that live in the villages and communities surrounding Yayawatta.
  • Approximately 4,000 people
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Results &

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

elderly woman in the doctors office

October 2015

Treatments Provided

1. Fever and Cough
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis
3. Ischemic Heart Disease
4. Dermatomycosis
5. Gastritis
6. Other Diseases

waiting room in sri lanka

November 2015

Treatments Provided

1. Fever
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis
3. Gastritis
4. Ischemic Heart Disease
5. Hypertension

lady speaking with doctor

December 2015

Treatments Provided

1. Viral Fever
2. Heart Diseases
3. Hypertension
4. Worm Infestation
5. Joint Pain
6. Surgical Cases

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

Served

During the fourth quarter of 2015, they saw an average of 21 patients per day, treating a total of 651 patients.

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Success

Stories

older sri lankan woman seeking medical help

Mrs. Sriyani

Mrs. Sriyani is 47 years old, and she is a direct beneficiary of the Real Medicine Clinic. Her husband is a fisherman. They live in Yayawatta, in one of the 94 houses which were donated as permanent shelters for the fishing community that lost their homes, belongings, and many loved ones in the tsunami.

Mrs. Sriyani came to the Real Medicine Clinic with cellulitis on her right leg. Her leg was swollen and she had a high fever. When Dr. Chamal examined Mrs. Sriyani, he immediately decided to refer her to the Tangalle Base Hospital. Our medical consultants treated Mrs. Sriyani with intravenous antibiotics, and her swelling and fever gradually went down. Mrs. Sriyani had developed a wound on the right leg, and with further treatment she is now recovering.

mother with two children real medicine foundation clinic sri lanka

October 2015

218 patients, 97 male and 121 female were treated at Real Medicine Clinic in October.

  • 25% of the patients were treated for a fever and cough,
  • 20% were treated for rheumatoid arthritis,
  • 20% were treated for ischemic heart disease,
  • 15% were treated for dermatomycosis,
  • 10% were treated for gastritis, and
  • 10% were treated for various other diseases.

There were 139 direct beneficiaries. Patients received treatment mainly for a fever and cough.

20 indirect beneficiaries were treated for a fever and cough. Direct and indirect beneficiaries were treated for 6 types of diseases, and a total of 79 patients were indirect beneficiaries.

November 2015

216 patients, 100 male and 116 female, were treated at Real Medicine Clinic in November

  • 25% of the patients were treated for a fever,
  • 25% were treated for rheumatoid arthritis,
  • 25% were treated for gastritis,
  • 15% were treated for ischemic heart disease, and
  • 10% were treated for hypertension.

There were 135 direct beneficiaries. The number of indirect beneficiaries was 81, and they came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, and Seenimodera to receive 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.

December 2015

217 patients were treated in December.

  • 35% of the patients were treated for a fever,
  • 25% were treated for heart diseases,
  • 10% were treated for hypertension,
  • 10% were treated for worm infestation,
  • 10% were treated for joint pains, and
  • 10% were surgical cases.

There were 141 direct beneficiaries from Yayawatta who received treatment, and 76 indirect beneficiaries obtained medication. Direct and indirect beneficiaries were treated for 6 types of diseases.

27 of the indirect beneficiaries received treatment for a viral fever. They came from Palapotha, Kadurupokuna, Seenimodera. A total of 76 patients came to the Real Medicine Clinic from these surrounding villages.