Southern African Spinal Cord Association Where did it

Southern African Spinal Cord Association

Where did it all start?

Wenela Hospital • 1952 – separate ward with 20 beds – Dr Pearson – medical officer – Mr Jack Saenen - Nurse – Fred Rothberg – Physiotherapist • Founder member of South African Paraplegic games association • • 1965 – team competed at Stoke Mandeville Games 1972 – 45 beds 1979 – Rand Mutual Hospital Spinal Unit: Kwa-Sindezama Spinal unit “we are trying to help ourselves”

Ernest Oppenheimer Hospital • • Built in 1951 Separate ward for SCI patients 1965 – National Paraplegic Championships 1979 – Spinal Unit: Ithuseng Rehabilitation Unit “help yourself”

• Rand Mutual Hospital Kwa-Zindizama Spinal Unit • Ernest Oppenheimer Hospital Ithuseng Rehabilitation Unit • Budget R 10 000

1993 • Maccauvlei Conference Centre – Dr Paul Dolfus - President of IMSOP 1992 -1996 – Dr DC Burke – Melbourne, Australia • Inaugural meeting of SASCA – – – Dr Ray Shrosbree – President Dr Egbert Louw – 1 st Vice president Christa Meyer – 2 nd Vice president Elzette Pelser – Secretary Rita Henn - Treasurer

SASCA • To provide information to health care professionals • To provide information to policy makers • To promote the treatment and rehabilitation of health and well-being • To network with governmental and nongovernmental organisations, academic institutions and other service providers • To encourage appropriate and relevant research promoting the primary health care approach

1995 • Dikhololo Game Reserve – Dr Vernon Hill – Brisbane, Australia

1997 • Sports Science Centre – Cape Town – Sr Alie New, Brisbane Australia (Registered Nurse) – Prof Moshe Solomonow, USA (Orthopaedic Surgeon)

1999 • Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West, Cape Town – Dr Wagih el Masry , Oswestry, UK (Orthopaedic Surgeon) – Dr Gale Whiteneck, Denver, Colorado (CHART) – Bengt Engstrom, Stockholm, Sweden (Physiotherapist/Seating Expert)

Audio-visual presentations

2001 • Ndaba Hotel, Fourways, Johannesburg – Dr Doug Brown, Melbourne, Australia – Dr Richard Jones, Sydney, Australia

2003 • Ndaba Hotel, Fourways, Johannesburg – Dr Bill Donavan, Houston, Texas, USA – Dr Lisa Harvey, Sydney, Australia – Prof Ian Swain, Salisbury, UK

Audio-visual presentations

2005 • ICC, Durban – Dr Susan Charlifue – Colorado, Denver (Ph. D in health & behavioural sciences) – Dr Fin Biering-Sǿrensen – Copenhagen, Denmark (Physiatrist)

2007 Combined congress with SANRA • ICC, Durban – Dr Ruth Marshall, Sydney, Australia (Physiatrist) – Aimee Bone, USA (Occupational Therapist)

2008 • ISCo. S – 47 th Annual meeting • 3 day training workshop

2010 • Escom Conference Centre, Midrand, Johannesburg – Dr Gerard Sormann – Melbourne, Australia (Plastic surgeon) – Sr Debbie Green - Stoke Mandeville, UK (Registered nurse)

2012 • ICC, Cape Town – Dr Brain Kwon, Vancouver, Canada (Physiatrist) – Jennifer Hastings, USA (Physical Therapist)

21 years later What Now……

Southern African Spinal Cord Association