By Ibukun Emiola
Ibadan- The Neurosurgery Department of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Thursday inaugurated a support group for people living with spinal cord injuries.
The aim, the department said, was to promote psychosocial support and improve their overall wellbeing.
The New group was inaugurated at a symposium organised by the department’s Holistic Round Team to commemorate the 2026 World Spinal Cord Injury Day.
The event, with the theme, “From Awareness to Action’’, brought together healthcare professionals involved in the multidisciplinary management of spinal cord injury patients.
A pioneer of the Holistic Round Team, who was also the keynote speaker, Prof. Adefolarin Malomo, called for a comprehensive approach to the management of spinal cord injury.
Malomo, a neurosurgeon, said healthcare professionals must go beyond treating the physical injuries to addressing the psychological, emotional and broader biopsychosocial needs of patients.
He said spinal cord injury care should not be limited to surgical intervention or physical rehabilitation, stressing the need to ensure that patients received holistic care.
“This is very important.
‘’It is not only fixing their bones as surgeons and every other healthcare worker putting their roles, but also going further in ensuring that they are holistically taken care of,” Malomo said.
Also present at the event was Prof. Sesan Oluwasola, the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, representing UCH management, alongside senior nursing, clinical psychology, physiotherapy and medical social work personnel.
Oluwasola appreciated the efforts of the team, adding that the management had always been supporting the drive to cater for the wellbeing of the patients.
Nurse Omobosede Ayebameru said the theme was a call for healthcare professionals and the public to move beyond awareness to concrete action in preventing spinal cord injuries and supporting affected patients.
Ayebameru is the Asst. Director of Nursing, Public Health Nursing Department, UCH.
“We want to take active steps in preventing spinal cord injury and managing our patients who are already spinal cord injured,” she said.
She said the newly established support group would provide a platform for patients with similar experiences to interact, communicate and support one another.
She said the group would operate through a WhatsApp platform, enabling members to maintain contact and build relationships beyond their hospital-based care.
Ayebameru added that the initiative was part of efforts by the Holistic Round Team to provide broader support to spinal cord injury patients.
Declaring the symposium open, Dr Olaoluwa Akinbo, representing the Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, Prof. James Balogun, said the initiative underscored the importance of a coordinated approach to caring for patients with spinal cord injuries.
The Holistic Round Team comprises professionals from neurosurgery, nursing, clinical psychology, physiotherapy and medical social work, among other disciplines to care for patients with spinal cord injuries.
