Newsroom Photos of the opening. The new space has four separate treatment rooms, including a room for paediatric patients; a separate plaster and casting area; a minor assessment area for physiotherapy and a dedicated waiting room. The Centre is possible thanks to the Nanji's — the lead donors, North York General Hospital's Volunteer Services and the community who supported this fundraising campaign. The Nanjis, members of the Ismaili community, were born in Uganda, settling in Canada in 1972. They were stripped of their Ugandan citizenship and assets by then dictator Idi Amin and airlifted out of Uganda on humanitarian missions. "We wanted to support the great team in the Orthopaedic and Plastics Centre because it would benefit the community where we live and work. The new space is five times larger with dedicated areas with doors — not just curtains — so patients can be private and will not be exposed to the dust of casts being cut off," said Mr. Nanji on behalf of his wife and family. "This is something we all benefit from. It's important to contribute to the country that welcomed you." The North York community has also greatly changed in the last 40 years. The old clinic saw 250 patient visits a month and today sees approximately 1,200 patient visits a month. The Nanji Orthopaedic and Plastics Centre team sees patients with fractures to bones and injuries to skin, arteries, nerves and muscles, and provides follow-up care for hip and knee replacement patients. "We are the second busiest area of the hospital, after Emergency.
We see athletes who worry they won't compete again, musicians wondering
if they'll play again, diabetics at risk of losing a limb and people
facing reconstructive surgery after accidents, illness or with abnormalities,"
says Dr. Maurice Bent, Division Head of Orthopaedic Surgery.
"They are often issues that can have a deep impact on a person's
quality of life, career or even identity. I am proud of the team and
how everyone has planned a pleasant space that puts the patient first."
"The Orthopaedics and Plastics team saves arms, legs and lives every day, but the public often associate plastic surgery with cosmetic surgery," says Dr. Greg McCain, Division Head of Plastic Surgery. "In a hospital setting it is more complex than that and often about reconstruction after injury or disease. For example, North York General Hospital is the second largest provider of breast cancer care in Toronto and has three plastic surgeons that are specialized in breast reconstruction. We also provide wound and ulcer care for our aging population. This supports our elder care focus by preventing admissions to hospital so seniors can continue quality living in their own home." Mae Legge, a patient of Dr. McCain's who is currently bed-ridden with dry gangrene says of Dr. McCain, "He is as close to a saint as a person can be." Wallace Legge, Mae's husband, both of whom are long-time volunteers at the hospital, says, "Dr. McCain has been a Godsend to Mae and given her the confidence that her foot can be saved with treatment and care. In the beginning it looked as if Mae would lose her foot." Learn about North York General Hospital's key role in the province's first Osteoporosis Strategy and the new Osteoporosis Screening Coordinator position. North York General Hospital, affiliated with the University of Toronto,
is one of Canada's leading community teaching hospitals. We provide
a wide range of acute care, ambulatory and long-term care services across
four sites to help our culturally diverse community embrace health.
Our four clinical priorities are Regional Maternal Newborn and Paediatric
Care; Cancer Care; Family and Community Medicine; and, Care of the Elderly.
Our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do.
Our focus is to embrace the health of our community by providing innovative
and compassionate care for the whole person throughout all stages of
life, across generations. Contact:
|