THE University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) has marked the 40th Spasticity Management Medical Mission, celebrating 17 years of specialised care and rehabilitation for Jamaicans living with disabilities, as the programme expands efforts to detect cerebral palsy in infants as early as six months old.

The milestone was recognised on Wednesday, November 4, during a visit by Krystal Lee, minister of state in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, who toured the hospital, met with medical specialists, and interacted with patients and their families.

Established in 2009, the mission is a long-standing collaboration involving UHWI, Bustamante Hospital for Children, Gillette Children’s Hospital in Minnesota, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

The programme provides specialised treatment and rehabilitation for children and adults living with spasticity — a condition characterised by abnormal muscle stiffness associated with cerebral palsy, stroke, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Since its inception, the programme has delivered an estimated 2,400 injection-treatment sessions and distributed more than 4,000 rehabilitation devices and pieces of equipment, including braces, splints, wheelchairs, assistive devices, and specialised footwear.

The initiative is led locally by Dr Paula Dawson, consultant physiatrist at UHWI and lecturer at The University of the West Indies, Mona, who introduced specialist physical medicine and rehabilitation services at UHWI in 2008.

Also known as physiatry, the medical speciality focuses on restoring mobility, function and independence in persons affected by neurological, musculoskeletal and other disabling conditions.

Dr Dawson heads the mission alongside American paediatric rehabilitation specialist Dr Mark Gormley and a multidisciplinary team of Jamaican and international medical professionals.

A major development this year is the introduction of specialised training in early cerebral palsy detection.

According to Dr Dawson, approximately 40 Jamaican health-care professionals participated in a workshop facilitated by specialists from the United States-based Cerebral Palsy Foundation, equipping them with techniques to identify signs of the condition in infants as early as six months old.

Early identification allows health-care professionals to begin appropriate treatment and rehabilitation during a critical stage of development, potentially reducing complications and improving long-term outcomes for affected children.

The four-day mission, held from November 2 to 5, included specialised medical assessments, injection treatments for muscle spasticity, and the provision of orthotic devices and rehabilitation equipment.

Two non-selective dorsal rhizotomy surgeries — specialised neurosurgical procedures used to manage severe spasticity — were also performed by a surgical team involving visiting paediatric neurosurgeon Dr Joseph Petronio and Jamaican medical professionals.

Lee commended the programme’s sustained contribution to disability care, highlighting the importance of transferring specialist knowledge to Jamaican health-care professionals and establishing systems that allow treatment and rehabilitation to continue locally.

“Not only are we getting assistance from persons coming from overseas. There is a continuity programme in place,” said Lee as she emphasised the importance of developing expertise within Jamaica’s health-care system.

Lee noted that the programme’s impact extends beyond individual medical procedures, pointing to the progress of children who have undergone treatment and continued rehabilitation over the years.

“Lives are being transformed,” she said, recalling the example of a former patient who received treatment approximately 14 years ago and has since gone on to excel academically.