Book on ostomy care released

The need for enterostomal therapists in hospitals to assist persons undergoing ostomies, which will generally result in the use of prosthetic pouches to collect waste from body, was stressed at the release of a book titled Ostomy Management and Stoma Care , on Saturday.

C.A. Saroja, the main contributor for the book, said that not much attention has been paid after the initial efforts of eminent surgical gasteroenterologist N. Rangabashyam in 1980s to train and form a team of nurses in enterostomal therapy.

“Even when I visit government hospitals now, the nurses tell me that they see ostomy cases often, but there is lack of training and trained professionals to help the patients. I hope this book, based on a lot of practical experiences, will be of help to them,” she said.

Nilakanta Siva, a retired nuclear scientist who co-edited the book, said his experience had shown that there was widespread lack of awareness among nurses and medical professionals in providing care to ostomates like him.

T.G. Balachandar, a surgical gastroenterologist, said the book released on Saturday could be of immense help to nurses and those who undergo ostomy.

Chitralekha Rangabashyam, wife of late Dr. Rangabashyam, released the book and the first copy was received by S.M. Chandramohan, gasterointestinal surgeon, and founder, EsoIndia.