By: Douglas Farngalo, Birmingham, UK |
The Director of the SALT Rehabilitation Center located in the borough of Paynesville, Dr. Catherine Turkett-Kamara is calling on President George Manneh Weah to approve a merger between her clinic and the John F. Kennedy Medical Centre, in a partnership which would give patients access to trauma rehabilitation services provided by trained and certified experts in stroke and trauma rehabilitation.
From the scourge of a devastating civil war, through the deadly hands of Ebola Viral Disease, which left many Liberians traumatised, physically deformed and psychologically scarred, never before has there been a greater need for a specialist medical clinic at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia.
Until now, casualties sustaining fractures and life-threatening injuries sustained from tragic motor accidents have been flown to specialist hospitals in Ghana, South Africa, India, or as far away as the United States of America for medical treatment and rehabilitation.
Through her love for Liberia, Dr Catherine Turkett-Kamara has established just the centre Liberia needs. Through assistance rendered by volunteers and colleagues, worthy donations from the US and the tenacity of Dr. Turkett-Kamara, a clinical facility has been completed at Zubah Town in Paynesville near Monrovia.
Born and raised in Liberia, Dr Turkett -Kamara travelled to the US during the Liberian civil war, where she studied medicine, and is a graduate of Rutgers University and New Jersey State University. According to Dr. Turkett-Kamara, by partnering with the JFK Hospital, stroke and trauma patients will be evaluated by trained and certified experts to recover from their conditions.
There are many empty rooms which could be used by SALT experts, enabling the number of patients seen each day to be increased, therefore benefitting the Liberian public. The clinic is open to establishing a dialogue with newly appointed administration of JFK Memorial Hospital, led by Dr. Jerry Browne, in making this aim a reality.
“President Weah needs to know we have trained and certified experts to do the job. We only need the space at JFK to develop a state of the art rehabilitation centre, a pain management clinic and a Liberian Autism Centre. We see 11 to 13 children with different developmental delays every day. Approximately 5 out of every 13 children assessed exhibit pervasive developmental delays (Pdd symptoms of autism)”, Dr. Turkett -Kamara laments.
Medical experts in the country say, the rate of children demonstrating symptoms of autism in Liberia is at an alarming rate. Therefore, presenting a current need to develop a state of the art Liberian Autism Centre, together with the rehabilitation centre and pain management clinic.
SALT Rehabilitation Clinic evaluates and treats individuals seeking recovery after stroke, fractured bones, joint deformities, prosthetic training, muscle weakness, motor vehicle and motorcycle accident injuries.
Other conditions treated are, acute and chronic pain management, walking deficits, speech difficulties, cognitive disabilities, general decondition problems, movement disorders, swallowing disorders, developmental delays in children, spinal cord injuries, family education training, and many more.
Services rendered by the SALT Rehabilitation Clinic have been endorsed by the US and other diplomatic Missions near Monrovia.
Dr. Catherine Turkett – Kamara is founder and CEO of C E Turkett Consultants, LLC. She is Licensed to Practice Physical Therapy in the United States, a former employee of the Emory Healthcare System in Atlanta GA for over 10 years, is a graduate of Rutgers University, New Jersey State University and is presently a doctoral candidate of Public Health specializing in Epidemiology at the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota U.S.A. She presently serves as clinical facilitator at SALT Rehabilitation Clinic in Liberia.
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