Bandar Seri Begawan Scoliosis screening will be carried out in schools in Brunei to handle the condition which affects the spines of many young children.

Speaking at the launch of the International Workshop on Scoliosis at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (Ripas) Hospital, Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman stressed plans to carry out routine screening and the importance of early detection. "Detecting scoliosis early is proven to be essential to avoid significant progression and in some cases, even surgery can be avoided," said Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi.

"Our primary healthcare professionals were briefed about the importance of school screening and we hope to implement routine screening in schools to detect scoliosis in the near future," he said.

The condition which holds an incidence trend here in Brunei can affect adults and children, however the most common variety is the adolescent idiopathic kind, which is a curvature of the spine that can occur in children aged 10 to maturity.

The minister stressed that even though the prevalence is not very high in Brunei's population, the impact caused by adolescent idopathic scoliosis can lead to psychological trauma.

The condition affects young children and can lead to sideward bending of the spine, resulting in both cosmetic and psychological trauma. "Timely diagnosis and management is the key to address this problem," he said.

The workshop, from November 9-15, 2009, will cover live surgeries, case discussions, lectures, preoperative planning, postoperative care and management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Brunei has seen a vast change in approach with how patients would be treated. The minister pointed out that patients would be referred overseas for surgery two years
Ago.

"This caused much inconvenience to patients, their families and extra burden on the ministry's finances," he said. However, after Brunei agreed with AO Spine International, their surgeons are now sent to Brunei to operate. The surgeries are routinely done twice a year and 25 patients have been operated.

The workshop was aimed is to educate spinal surgeons from overseas about the management of scoliosis. The workshop is also a result of a close relationship between the Ministry of Health and AO Spine International.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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