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

Project Goal:
Provide long-term medical support and treatment to children suffering from congenital health conditions affecting Growth Hormone production and cholesterol modulation.                         

Project Objectives:
To coordinate and manage the system which delivers treatment to the children, provides medical consultations and ensures patient compliance to treatment protocols to optimize the children’s chances for growth and maximum health benefits.

Summary of RMF-sponsored activities carried out during the reporting period under each project objective:

• Organized and conducted 3 monthly meetings in July, August, and September 2013.
• Information was collected from the children about their treatment and progress at the monthly meetings. 
• Traveling expenses and nutritious food packages were also provided for the children and their families.
• The food parcels were handed over to the 5 children by Nishantha Sandakelum & Minerva Fernando for the months of July, August & September 2013.
• The July monthly meeting was not held on the scheduled date due to delayed funds. It was held on the 3^rd of August and it was the 7^th meeting of the year.  
• August’s monthly meeting was held on the 31^st of August 2013. All 5 children and their parents attended the meeting.
• The 9^th meeting was held on the 28^th of September. 4 children participated in the meeting. The meeting was held on the scheduled date.

MADUMEKALA

• She is 19 years old and attends meetings both by herself and with her father (in July 2013, her father attended the meeting).
• Madumekala is continuing sex hormone medication, Climen, at 1 tablet daily.
• Prof. Sujeewa had increased her dosage of the growth hormone therapy to 10 clicks per day.
• As Prof. Sujeewa had instructed, the growth hormone therapy was administered under the supervision of the RMF Project Coordinator, Minerva Fernando’s residence. Madumekala’s height increased 1.3cm during this quarter.

FAZEER AHAMED

• Fazeer is 17 years old.
• His dosage of the growth hormone therapy has continued at 10 clicks at night daily.
• As Fazeer has to travel a lot, Prof. Sujeewa has instructed the Medical Consultants of Ward No.1 at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle to distribute all 4 vials of growth hormone therapy at once. This distribution was activated from the month of August 2013 going forward to alleviate the time and burden of travel for Fazeer.
• During Q3 2013, Fazeer gained an appreciable 4kg in weight (2^nd Quarter’s weight increased 1 kg between April and June 2013).

MADURA MADUSHANKA

• Madura is 16 years old and is in the 12^th grade.
• Madura’s mother continues to be very involved in his progress and treatments. The medical authorities at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital are very satisfied with her participation and concern for Madura’s well being.
• Prof. Sujeewa has instructed Madura’s mother to give 10 clicks of growth hormone each night from the 29^th of July going forward. Prior to this, Madura was receiving 7 clicks of growth hormone therapy each night.

 GAYAN MADUSHANKA

• Through the Third Quarter, Gayan continued with his growth hormone vials and injections of Testoviron depot.
• Gayan’s dosage of sex hormone therapy continues to be 9 clicks each night. Due to some swelling of his face in August, Prof. Sujeewa Amarasena, the Senior Pediatrician of the Teaching Hospital at Karapitiya in Galle, referred Gayan to Dr. Manilka Sumanathilaka, a Consulting Endocrinologist of the Teaching Hospital at Karapitiya in Galle. In the month of July 2013 the parents had not obtained the vials of Growth Hormone but Gayan had visited.
• Due to a broken Auto Click machine, a letter was written to Mr. Noel Edirisinghe, the Marketing Manager of Baurs Company, and they were able to successfully obtain a new Auto Click machine at no cost due to a kind donation of Baurs.
• Gayan did not have measurements taken for the month of July.

THARINDU

• Tharindu got married last month. His job is Motor Mechanic & he lives with his wife in Colombo. 
• With a new blood profile, Tharindu’s medication was increased by Prof Sujeewa. A 40mg table of Rosuvastatin was taken by Tharindu every night. Additionally, in August and September, Professor Sujeewa has recommended 10mg of Ezetimibe, taken in table form each evening.
• Tharindu receives food parcels with more grains and a packet of bonlac fat free milk powder.
• The scan of his new blood profile with the Medical Consultant’s opinion is attached with this report.