Sri Lanka: Long Term Medical Support and Growth Hormone Treatment for Children

Long-Term Medical Support for Children: Q4 2015

February 09, 2016

Stephney Minerva Fernando

Summary of Activities
  • Organized and held 3 monthly meetings for the months of July, August, and September 2015
  • Collected information from the children about their treatment and progress at the monthly meetings
  • Provided traveling expenses and nutritious food packages for the children and their families
  • Gave each of the 5 children a food parcel, worth Rs. 2,199/= each. The food parcels were distributed by Mr. Nishantha Sandakelum and Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando for the months of October, November, and December 2015.

Project Goal

Provide long-term medical support and treatment to children suffering from congenital health conditions affecting growth hormone production and cholesterol modulation.

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Results &

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Long-Term Care

Seven Years Running

All 5 patients have been treated for the last 7 years through:

  • monthly meetings
  • therapy
  • provision of food parcels
  • any additionally required monitoring or treatment during the first quarter of 2016

Medical Professionalism

Services Provided

  • Issuing medication
  • Safely storing the delivered vials of growth hormone (GH) from Baurs Company
  • Documenting the issued vials and recording the progress of the patients’ height and weight by the medical authority at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, under the Supervision of Professor Sujeewa, Senior Consultant Pediatrician of Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.
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Photos

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Numbers

Served

5 patients with congenital health conditions affecting growth hormone production and cholesterol modulation.

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Success

Stories

Madu with the food parcel

Madumekala Ubeywarna

Age 22

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2015

  • Madumekala is a 22-year-old young woman. She came to the meeting with her mother. She received 4 vials of growth hormone (GH) for the months of October, November, and December.
  • Madumekala is continuing sex hormone medication: Climen, 1 tablet daily. Her bone age is 11 years. It is below her chronological age. Madumekala was treated by Dr. Manilka Sumanthilaka, a consultant endocrinologist. He again referred Madumekala to Professor Sujeewa for further treatment.
  • As Professor Sujeewa instructed, Madumekala’s growth hormone therapy was increased again from 12 clicks to 14 clicks. We plan to meet with Professor Sujeewa to get his decision about Madumekala continuing therapy, as there has been little progress in her height for the last few months.
Fazeer with the food parcel

Fazeer Ahamed

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2015

  • Fazeer attended the October 2015 meeting. He was given 4 vials of growth hormone therapy for the month of September. His dosage is 10 clicks at night, daily. For the month of October, Fazeer was also provided with a food parcel.
  • Fazeer did not come to the November 2015 monthly meeting. Instead, his aunt attended the meeting on his behalf and received 4 vials of growth hormone (GH) therapy for him, for the month of November.

DECEMBER 2015

  • Neither Fazeer nor his family member attended the monthly meeting in December, and we received no information from Fazeer. He did not receive his 4 vials of growth hormone therapy for the month of December.
  • We did not purchase Fazeer’s 4 vials of growth hormone for the month of January 2016, and we instructed the medical authority of Ward No.1 not to issue the vials, as Fazeer must meet with us before going to the clinic in Karapitiya.

Fazeer is now in grade 13, and he attends Wayamba Royal College in Kurunegala, where he lives while continuing his studies. Economics, information technology, and accounting are the subjects he is studying in the Advanced Level, and he will be sitting for the examination in the year 2016.

Madura's Mother with the Food Parcel

Madura Madushanka

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2015

  • Madura received 4 vials of growth hormone for the months of October, November, and December. He did check his height during this time period.
  • He had attended school and private classes, and completed the Advanced Level Exam. At the moment, he is taking a computer course too. His mother is very much concerned with his progress, and the medical authorities at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital are very satisfied with her.

There are no photographs available of Madura Madushanka with this report. His mother is pictured receiving his food parcel.

Gayan with the food parcel

Gayan Madushanka

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2015

  • For the month of October, Gayan’s parents received 2 vials of growth hormone (GH) for him, and Gayan visited the clinic at Karapitiya once to check his progress.
  • For the months of November and December, Gayan’s parents received 4 vials of growth hormone for him, and Gayan visited the clinic at Karapitiya once each month to check his progress.
  • Gayan’s dosage of growth hormone therapy is 10 clicks each night. No complaints and his bone age is 15 years.
  • Gayan had started to attend school again, and he is very happy about the school. Gayan is a developmentally delayed child, and this school provides education for such children.
Tharindu with the food parcel

Tharindu Hasanga

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2015

  • Tharindu’s increased medication had to continue. He visited the Karapitiya clinic with his new blood profile on November 10th, 2015. No change in his medication. Tharindu has to attend the clinic with his new blood profile after 3 months.
  • Senior medical consultant, Dr. Arosha, had instructed Tharindu to do more exercises to decrease his weight. Tharindu’s weight is 75 kilos.
  • Professor Sujeewa Amarasinghe, the senior pediatrician at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, had referred Tharindu to Dr. Arosha.
  • Tharindu takes Rosuvastatin (40 mg) and Ezetimibe (10 mg) each night. He also receives a food parcel with more grains and a packet of fat-free milk powder. He is well now.