A man of vision and mission

A pioneer Campaigner for the Prevention of Burns :

by Ranga Chandrarathne

The process of poverty alleviation in developing countries has been confined to granting of loans aimed at generating self-employment or imparting merely skills and training.

However, the process has entirely overlooked the aspects of the prevention of sudden and unforeseen events that would enhance existing poverty. If the breadwinner happened to be the victim, the entire family will have to suffer and the skills and training would have been of no use and money invested in skills development and training would end up in smoke.

In addition, the process has also neglected the aspects of complete education and the purpose of education in this particular context.

An ingenuous idea conceived in the mind of a consultant surgeon, has over the years grown up to a formidable campaign to prevent thousands of would-be burn patients and even deaths that may have been caused due to toppling of the unsafe bottle lamps that light thousands of households in Sri Lanka.

It all happened on yet another busy day of a medical officer posted in the far flung town of Ratnapura. Though famous for its rich mines of gem, the area has been infected with the scourge of abject poverty compelling a larger segment of the village folk to lead a hand to mouth existence.

These villagers living under trying circumstances could not afford to have four meals a day and the electricity and pipe-borne water which the city dwellers would have taken for granted, are beyond their means and are luxuries for them.

Every day, those impoverished households are being lit up by kerosene bottle lamps which were often made from fused bulbs and tall narrow medicinal jars with a loose wicker and are susceptible to topple spilling kerosene on the villagers and causing severe burns, even deaths.

It was a common occurrence that countless numbers of villagers with severe burns were being admitted to the hospital. Though Dr. Godakumbura had worked for almost thirty years as a doctor, he was shocked when a nineteen year old pregnant mother was admitted to the Ratnapura hospital with third-degree burns spreading over 75 per cent of her body.

The kerosene lamp which had been burning while she was reading a book had spilled over her, causing severe burns. Despite Dr. Godakumbura's fanatic efforts to save her life, she died of burns thirty six hours after being admitted to the hospital.

This single incident which would have been forgotten with the passage of time had ignited the humane mind of Dr. Godakumbura who launched the burn prevention campaign or rather an injury prevention movement to which most of the countries in the world have paid step-motherly treatment.

As a surgeon, he saw the untold suffering of bottle lamp victims and severe burns, life-long disfigurements, sometimes with blindness and loss of fingers and even deaths when the burns are extensive.

So, he thought that some method should have to be devised in order to prevent these unwanted tragedies. The idea of a safe inexpensive bottle lamp was, thus, conceived leading to the logical birth of an NGO which is now known worldwide, as The Safe Bottle Lamp Foundation.

Certificates of excellence

The foundation during its thirteen years of existence was able to replace 700,000 unsafe bottle lamps in use with a safer version that Dr. Godakumbura designed. Dr. Godakumbura's solution is both safe and inexpensive (Rs. 40/= each). The safe lamp is flat and heavy with a tight lid which will not topple easily and the cap with the tight lid prevents kerosene from spilling.

The Safe Bottle Lamp Project was commenced in 1992 to prevent bottle lamp burns. Since a previous campaign launched in 1965 which suffered a natural death, an effective burn prevention campaign has not been used for the next 27 years.

At present, there are only two kerosene burn prevention campaigns existing in the world; The Safe Bottle Lamp Project in Sri Lanka and Paraffin Safety Association in South Africa.

It has been estimated that a staggering number of people (approximately 1500 million) worldwide have no access to electricity (6 million of them are in Sri Lanka and in 1.5 million households). Although electricity availability in Sri Lanka is as high as 70% compared to 10%, in Mozambique, Ruwanda and 32% Bangladesh (in 2002) respectively, in some of the provinces, the availability of electricity is less than 50% (in Monaragala, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura).

Dr. Godakumbura's invention 'Sudeepa' (Su=good, deepa-light), the safe bottle lamp, has been recommended for its safety standards by local and international organisations including WHO, International Society for Burn Injuries, Sri Lanka Medical Association, College of Surgeons and National Committee for Prevention of Injuries.

In addition to manufacturing safe bottle lamps, The Safe Bottle Lamp Foundation has carried out a public awareness campaign on prevention of burns.

In recognition of the project internationally, Dr. Godakumbura was invited to make a presentation on the project at diverse international fora including Burn Congresses held in India, France, Turkey, Japan, USA, Libya, Australia, Taiwan and South Africa.

The Safe Bottle Lamp Foundation has been featured on television and radio including CNN and VOA and feature articles on the project were published in international journals and magazines. The long list includes Reader's Digest, Science and Nature and Asia Week.

Dr. Godakumbura is of the opinion that the development process has almost neglected the aspect of prevention of enhancement of existing poverty through unexpected and sudden events like injuries.

"The foundation's focus is mainly on the prevention of enhancement of existing poverty through unexpected events like injuries" said Dr. Godakumbura.

Dr. Godakumbura has been recognized as one of the icons of Sri Lanka of the 20th century by the 'Esteem' magazine. Among the list were Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy, Sir Arthur C. Clarke and Prof. Senarath Paranavithana.

Dr. Godakumbura was conferred with a number of national and international awards in recognition of his invention of 'Sudeepa', a safe lamp and his service to the cause of prevention of burns in Sri Lanka.

The awards include the prestigious Rolex Award for Enterprises, Lindbergh, Reader's Digest, Presidential, Vidyajyothi and Sarvodaya award.

He started addressing the public on matters pertaining to health as a student of the Faculty of Medicine through newspapers and radio, and continued for the last four decades and on television for the last score.

He is one of the twenty participants of the Conference on Burn Care organized by the WHO and the International Society for Burn Injuries to be held next month in Geneva in Switzerland. He is one of the participants invited by the WHO.

[email protected]
 

***

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise was established in 1976 to provide financial help to men and women seeking to break new ground in areas that advance human knowledge and well-being.

The award, granted every two years, is given to five individuals who present the most exceptional projects. Each individual receives US$ 100,000 as well as other prizes. Up to 10 second prizes are also awarded to individuals submitting projects worth of support.

All candidates must develop an original concept, present a concrete working project and show how they are capable of turning that project into reality. The Rolex Awards for Enterprise recognize outstanding initiatives in the following fields; science and medicine; technology and innovation; exploration and discovery; the environment and the cultural heritage.

The Winners are chosen by a selection Committee, an Independent International Jury composed of outstanding personalities from a wide range of disciplines and activities.

The criteria for the awards are; exceptional spirit of enterprise; feasibility of projects; creativity and originality; potential impact on the world and on society.

Emulating Dr. Godakumbura, one of only two South Asians among 45 Rolex laureates, other Sri Lankans who contribute to the communities could apply for the awards before 31st May.

www.rolexawards.com
 

***

The safe bottle lamp 'Sudeepa'

(a). It has the following features-

1. Is short and heavy, so that it would not topple easily

2. Has 2 flat sides, so that it would not roll if it does topple

3. Has a screw-on metal lid, to prevent oil spill if it does topple

4. Is simple enough, so that it is handy and capable of mass production at low cost

5. Has a near globular shape and thick glass, so that it does not crack if it falls

6. Could be used for several years, as there are no delicate or moving parts

(b). It has been approved by-

Sri Lanka Inventors' Commission

Sri Lanka Medical Association

College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka

International Society for Burn Injuries

National Committee for Prevention Injuries, Sri Lanka

(c). Over 700,000 have been given out (sold below cost or given free).

(d). There are people who have used them for 7 to 8 years