KRSMA expand its activities

Started in 2005, the Kandy Region Sports Medicine Association has over the last few years provided Silent Service to sportsmen and women in Kandy. This lack of fanfare has in no way deterred the members of the KRSMA. They have gone from strength to strenth and are in the process of expanding the activities of the unit.

According to committee member Dr. Asela Ratnayake, Sports Medicine clinics are held every Wednesday afternoon at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital. All sports injuries, medical problems of sports people, sports development activities and any other matters related to sports performance are handled by the doctors of the KRSMA.

There is a continuous Medical Education lecture series on Sports Medicine for doctors. Workshops for coaches, Physical Trainers, Sportsmen and Masters in Charge of sports in schools are held. There is a team of Physicians providing on field management. International matches and local tournaments are also covered by this team. What is needed then and there is done (acute management) and there is a referral system to the hospital.

Some of the doctors attached to this Sports Medicine unit have attended international conferences such as those of the Asian Federation of Sports Medicine and the World Federation of Sports Medicine. They have participated in regional conferences in India, China and Thailand.

Research is being conducted on sports injuries at the annual International Rugby Sevens. Another, more interesting research is on Archery. More specifically it deals with the potential of Veddahs to be Elite Archers - Research on drug usage in sports and an analysis of the nutritional status of sports people are high on the list. It is the view of Dr. Ratnayaka that sports people take unnecessary supplements without a rationale.

In order to provide specialized attention to those who call over, the Sports Medicine Unit at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital has been equipped with X Ray machines, Ultra Sound Scanners, CT Scanners, MRI Scanners and Isotope Bone Scanners. Sports specific rehabilitation is a priority.

Dr. Ratnayaka says that most rugger players come with knee and shoulder injuries. As for Javelin throwers and pacemen, it is a case of back injuries.Sprinters in general have hamstring problems while soccer players usually have knee and ankle injuries. Athletes under 10 and thirteen years of age are especially welcome as they can be followed up for about ten years. This is mainly so in the case of those failing in their performance on account of nutritional problems.

It is worth mentioning that doctors of the unit are assisted by specialists in all other categories. It is on the cards that the unit will be expanded and a sports medicine centre established, with a sports gymnasium for rehabilitation and development. In the future, they hope to establish, even on a minor scale, a doping/drug testing centre.

The Sports Medicine Unit functions as a training centre for Peradeniya's medical students who are offering Sports Medicine as their elective attachment.

Professor H.K. Suraweera, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, is the head of the KRSMA, Doctors Rochana Perera (Secretary), Asela Ratnayake, H. Ranawaka, Kapila Edirimanne, Akila Samarakkody, Sachitra Samarasinghe, Rohitha Gunaratne, Rohitha Hanangalarachci and S. Warusavithane are on the Committee.