The Neurosurgery Department of the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, has inaugurated a support group for people living with spinal cord injuries to promote psychosocial support and improve their overall well-being.
The group was inaugurated at a symposium organized by the department’s Holistic Round Team to commemorate the 2026 World Spinal Cord Injury Day, with healthcare professionals calling for a comprehensive approach to the care and rehabilitation of affected patients.
The symposium, themed “From Awareness to Action,” brought together healthcare professionals involved in the multidisciplinary management of spinal cord injuries.
Prof. Adefolarin Malomo, a neurosurgeon and pioneer of the Holistic Round Team, who delivered the keynote address, urged healthcare professionals to adopt a comprehensive approach to spinal cord injury management.
Malomo said care should go beyond treating patients’ physical injuries to addressing their psychological, emotional and broader biopsychosocial needs.
He stressed that spinal cord injury care should not be limited to surgical intervention and physical rehabilitation, but should also ensure that patients receive holistic support.
“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 at the event was Prof. Sesan Oluwasola, Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, who represented the UCH management, alongside senior nursing, clinical psychology, physiotherapy and medical social work personnel.
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Oluwasola commended the efforts of the Holistic Round Team, saying the hospital management had consistently supported initiatives aimed at improving patients’ well-being.
Nurse Omobosede Ayebameru, Assistant Director of Nursing, Public Health Nursing Department, UCH, said the theme of the symposium 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.
“We want to take active steps in preventing spinal cord injury and managing our patients who are already spinal cord injured,” she said.
Ayebameru 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, allowing members to maintain contact and build relationships beyond hospital-based care.
According to her, the initiative is part of the Holistic Round Team’s broader efforts to provide comprehensive support for people living with spinal cord injuries.
Declaring the symposium open, Dr Olaoluwa Akinbo, who represented 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, who work together in the care of patients with spinal cord injuries.
NAN
