TOFD Hosts Meaningful Event

Turkish Spinal Cord Injury Association, will host the International Symposium on Fighting Spinal Cord Injury, which will take place for the first time in Turkey within the scope of 5 September World Spinal Cord Injury Day. At the symposium to be held in Istanbul, renowned Indian doctor HS Chhabra, who works on spinal cord injury treatment, will share the latest developments in global research efforts. At the symposium, which will also be attended by Stefan O. Jorlev, Chairman of the European Spinal Cord Injury Association (ESCIF), and Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the Union of Turkish Municipalities, the role of local administrations in improving the living conditions of spinal cord injury patients will also be discussed. The International Symposium on Fighting Spinal Cord Injury, hosted by Turkish Spinal Cord Injury Association (TOFD), will take place on 5 September at Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital. At the symposium, which will feature expert speakers in the field in Turkey, renowned Indian doctor HS Chhabra, who works on spinal cord injury treatment, will share global research efforts with Turkish scientists. Since 1998, TOFD has carried out national and international work on resolving the medical, professional, economic and social problems of spinal cord injury patients and on the prevention of spinal cord injury. At the symposium it will organize as part of 5 September World Spinal Cord Injury Day, TOFD aims to share many research efforts and new developments in spinal cord injury treatment with the public and authorities, while also addressing advocacy for the rights of individuals with spinal cord injuries, their participation in social life, and the difficulties they face in professional and educational fields to provide solutions.

Questions from disabled individuals will be answered

At the International Symposium on Fighting Spinal Cord Injury, which will be chaired by Semra Çetinkaya, General Chairman of Turkish Spinal Cord Injury Association, Stefan O. Jorlev, Chairman of the European Spinal Cord Injury Association (ESCIF), will share information about social initiatives undertaken in Europe. All sessions of the symposium will be held open to the public. At the symposium, which will be attended by individuals with spinal cord injuries and their families, many important topics will be addressed by experts, ranging from developments in spinal cord injury treatment to difficulties experienced in the sexual life of individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Rights and opportunities in social life are as important as treatment

In the first session of the symposium, social opportunities and legal rights that are as important as treatment for individuals with spinal cord injuries will be discussed. At the event where Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and also Chairman of the Union of Turkish Municipalities, will provide explanations on the role of local administrations and the opportunities they offer, Aydın Çengel, TOFD Board Member, will address the problems in the lives of spinal cord injury patients and their legal rights along with research results conducted with spinal cord injury individuals.

Latest global developments will be shared

Prof. Dr. Sait Naderi, Prof. Dr. Belgin Erhan, Prof. Dr. Evrim Coşkun, Prof. Dr. Ayhan Attar, and renowned Indian Doctor HS Chhabra will share work and innovations in spasticity, pressure ulcers, rehabilitation and spinal cord injury treatment, along with health problems faced by individuals with spinal cord injuries.

Attention will be drawn to the importance of sexual life and psychological support

At the symposium, which will address the effects of spinal cord injury on sexual life—a topic many spinal cord injury patients are hesitant to discuss but most want to know about—along with urinary tract and pressure ulcer problems, and will emphasize the importance of psychological counseling support in spinal cord injury, Prof. Dr. Murat Hancı, Prof. Dr. Taner Koldaş, Psychologist Melek Bengü Şahin, Prof. Dr. Cenk Gürbüz, Prof. Dr. Selcen Bahadır and Specialist Dr. Elif Altınay Kırlı will address the topic in all its details.