Dinesh Palipana Explained

Dinesh Palipana
Honorific Suffix:OAM
Birth Place:Kandy, Sri Lanka
Nationality:Australian
Occupation:Doctor and Lawyer
Awards:2021 Queensland Australian of the Year
Honours:Order of Australia Medal
Party:Liberal National[1]

Dinesh Palipana (born 1984) is an Australian doctor, lawyer, scientist and disability advocate. He is the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland, Australia.[2] [3] [4] [5] He is the second person with quadriplegia to graduate as a doctor in Australia and the first with spinal cord injury.[6]

Palipana has been an advocate for medical students with disabilities in Australia, where significant barriers existed.[7] [8] [9]

Career

Dinesh Palipana obtained a degree in law from the Queensland University of Technology.[10] He then commenced a Doctor of Medicine at the Griffith University, graduating in 2016 as the first quadriplegic medical graduate in the state of Queensland, the second in Australia. He graduated with several awards[11] and was featured in the Griffith University video Dinesh Palipana is remarkable. He completed a medical clerkship at Harvard Medical School.[12] Palipana holds the title of lecturer at Griffith University.[13] Dinesh was admitted as a lawyer in September, 2020.[14]

Following a spinal cord injury, Palipana found adapted ways to be trained as a quadriplegic doctor in partnership with Griffith University and the Gold Coast University Hospital.[15] This was a previously unaccomplished feat in Queensland. He has consequently openly advocated for training medical students with disabilities in Australia.[16]

Despite spending two years in clinical training as a medical student at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana faced challenges in securing initial employment in his home state of Queensland under Queensland Health.[17] [18] At one point, he was the only Queensland medical graduate without an employment offer for the year 2016 despite testaments to his ability.[19]

He was eventually employed by the Gold Coast University Hospital to become Queensland's first quadriplegic intern.[20] He has worked in the emergency department[21] at the hospital, the second busiest department in Australia in 2017.[22] [23] He was nominated for an Intern of the Year award at the Gold Coast University Hospital in 2017.[24]

With an interest in radiology,[25] he is a contributor on Radiopaedia, a radiology education portal designed for medical professionals.[26]

In 2020, Palipana became the team doctor for the Gold Coast Titans Physical Disability Rugby League team.[27] He served as a senior advisor to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.[28]

Palipana was appointed to the board of directors at George Steuart Group in 2024.[29]

Injury

During medical school, Palipana was involved in a car accident causing a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.[30] [31] He was 25 years old at the time. The 2010 motor vehicle accident occurred on Brisbane's Gateway Motorway.[32] A physician attending the accident scene with emergency services had taught Palipana during medical school.[33] During his recuperation, Palipana experienced complications that included sepsis and pleural effusion.[34]

Palipana subsequently spent seven months at a spinal injuries unit in the Princess Alexandra Hospital.[35] [36] He met the boxer Joe Frazier during his admission in hospital.[37]

Advocacy

While recuperating from his injury, Palipana spent some time in Sri Lanka.[38] During that time, he was noted for raising awareness[39] and funding[40] for spinal cord injury in the country. In 2013, he gifted a stock of medical supplies for spinal cord injury to the then Minister of Health[41] Maithripala Sirisena.[42] Palipana sits on the council of the Sri Lanka Spinal Cord Network.[43]

In 2015, the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand issued a set of guidelines providing Australian medical schools the power to exclude students with a range of disabilities.[44] The guidelines can potentially be used exclude medical students with similar conditions to Palipana. By using his story as an example, Palipana has been a vocal advocate for taking an inclusive approach to medical education in the country instead.[45] [46] [47] Palipana has been using his story to demonstrate ways in which doctors,[48] [49] and the wider population,[50] [51] can work effectively with disabilities. In 2018, he was a keynote speaker at Stanford Medicine X at the Stanford University[52] [53] and TEDxBrisbane[54] on the topic. Through various capacities, he has been an advocate for inclusive employment generally.[55] [56]

He is a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia, an advocacy group for physicians with disabilities.[57] [58] Through Doctors with Disabilities Australia, Palipana supported some Indian peers in an Indian High Court case during 2019.[59] The case involved a challenge of the Medical Council of India's decisions around medical education and disabilities.[60]

Palipana is a member of the Ambassador Council at the Hopkins Centre, a centre for research in rehabilitation and resilience.[61] [62] He has been a member of the Australian Medical Association Queensland's Council of Doctors in Training since 2017.[63] Palipana has worked with the Australian Medical Association to promote inclusion in the profession.[64] Since gaining employment at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Palipana has promoted inclusion within the organisation.[65]

He became an ambassador for Physical Disability Australia in 2020.[66] In 2021, he became an ambassador to the IncludeAbility project of the Australian Human Rights Commission.[67]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Palipana advocated for the interests of people with disabilities,[68] [69] particularly in healthcare.[70] [71] Palipana appeared on ABC's Q&A to speak about the issue. He spoke at the 2020 Disability Royal Commission on the topic.[72]

Palipana was involved in advocating for changes to a spinal injuries unit in Queensland.[73] [74]

Research

Palipana has interests in spinal cord injury research.[75] [76] [77] [78] [79] He was awarded $2 million in 2019 to pursue research in thought-controlled rehabilitation.[80] The study was featured on The Project.[81] The work received a further $3.8 million in 2023.[82] He attributes this passion to his own injury. Palipana is a member of the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation's scientific committee.[83]

Palipana's interest includes non-invasive interventions to promote functional improvement in spinal cord injury.[84] [85] Some of these interventions have involved electroencephalography (EEG) and electrical stimulation,[86] which was highlighted in Griffith University's Be Remarkable media campaign. He has been encouraged by a mentor at Harvard University, where he was one of the first visiting medical students of this nature.[87] The project received $2 million Australian in 2019 from the Queensland Government.[88]

Palipana has published articles on disability, COVID-19 and medicine.[89]

Personal life

Palipana was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka to Chithrani and Sanath Palipana. He grew up in Byron Bay and Brisbane, Australia.[90] Palipana attributes much of his success to the support of his mother.[91] [92]

Media

Palipana's story was featured on the popular ABC radio show Conversations with Richard Fidler, the ABC television show Australian Story, BBC Outlook,[93] Today,[94] and Vice (magazine).[95] He appeared on the cover of Sri Lanka's Pulse [96] Magazine in January 2020. Dinesh has spoken at various events such as TED (conference)[97] and alongside figures such as Kerry O'Brien[98] [99] and Deng Thiak Adut[100] regarding his experiences.[101] [102] [103]

Palipana has written for Ars Technica,[104] ABC News (Australia)[105] and Medscape.[106]

Palipana was a runway model for the Adaptive Fashion Collective at the Australian Fashion Week and appeared in Vogue[107] and Harper's Bazaar.[108] He has been featured in the Brisbane Portrait Prize.[109]

Palipana's autobiography Stronger was released by Pan MacMillan in 2022.[110]

Awards and honours

Escutcheon:Per bend bevilled Sable and Argent issuant in chief and on the sinister a phoenix Argent enflamed Proper.
Crest:Upon a helm with a wreath Agent and Sable a demi lion Argent gorged with chain Or pendent therefrom a rose Gules barbed Vert charged with a Maltese cross Argent and holding with the dexter paw a Rod of Aesculapius in bend sinister Sable the serpent Argent.
Motto:Invictus Per Aspera
Notes:Granted 28 January 2022[122]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Doctor considers bid for Queensland Liberal seat of Fadden. The Australian.
  2. News: Graduate becomes Queensland's first quadriplegic medical intern. 9 January 2017. ABC News. 18 February 2017. en-AU.
  3. Web site: Gold Coast Bulletin. www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au. 18 February 2017.
  4. News: Dr Dinesh Palipana becomes the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland. SBS Your Language. 18 February 2017. en.
  5. News: Respecting patients and keeping them safe: ten tips for quality care. 16 January 2017. Croakey. 18 February 2017. en-CA.
  6. Web site: Dr Dinesh Palipana: A True Story of Inspiration – Pulse. 6 January 2017 . 18 February 2017.
  7. Web site: 'They are underestimating me': aspiring doctor claims disability bias. Perkins. Miki. 21 November 2016. The Age. 18 February 2017.
  8. Web site: Article – Pathways 13: Inherent requirements: working towards graduating a student with quadriplegia from the Doctor of Medicine – ADCET. www.adcet.edu.au. en. 18 February 2017.
  9. News: 2023-10-26 . Doctor in training flies from UK to Australia to work with 'trailblazer' in medicine after breaking his spine . 2024-05-11 . ABC News . en-AU.
  10. Web site: My Family – Dinesh Palipana. 25 May 2016. ABC Brisbane. en-AU. 18 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161029174257/http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2016/05/my-family-dinesh-palipana.html. 29 October 2016. dead.
  11. News: Quadriplegic medical graduate fears unemployment. 21 December 2016. ABC News. 18 February 2017. en-AU.
  12. Web site: He reached the unreachable star The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. www.sundaytimes.lk. 18 February 2017.
  13. Web site: Dr Dinesh Palipana. www.griffith.edu.au. en. 7 November 2017.
  14. Web site: 2020-09-04. Groundbreaking doctor's amazing new achievement. 2020-09-09. The West Australian. en.
  15. News: Quadriplegic medical graduate fears unemployment. 21 December 2016. ABC News. 18 February 2017. en-AU.
  16. Web site: GUMS AMSA Council 1 Report. gums.org.au. en-US. 18 February 2017.
  17. News: Quadriplegic medical graduate fears unemployment. 21 December 2016. ABC News. 18 February 2017. en-AU.
  18. News: 'It's definitely because of the injury'. 20 December 2016. Gold Coast Bulletin. 18 February 2017. en-US.
  19. News: 'It's definitely because of the injury'. 18 February 2017.
  20. Web site: Gold Coast Bulletin. www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au. 18 February 2017.
  21. Web site: Dinesh Palipana is Queensland's first quadriplegic doctor. www.9news.com.au. 15 March 2018 . 15 March 2018.
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  25. News: Quadriplegia is no barrier to a medical career. 18 February 2017. en.
  26. Web site: Dr Dinesh Palipana User Radiopaedia.org. radiopaedia.org. en. 18 February 2017.
  27. Web site: Dr Dinesh Palipana Joins Titans As PDRL Team Doctor. 2020-01-30. Gold Coast Titans. en. 2020-02-23.
  28. Web site: Disability Royal Commission welcomes Dr Dinesh Palipana as a special adviser. 2021-09-15. Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. en.
  29. Web site: Sarva Ameresekere appointed Group Chairman of George Steuarts & Co. Ltd. . 2024-05-11 . Times Online . English.
  30. Web site: My Family – Dinesh Palipana. 25 May 2016. ABC Brisbane. en-AU. 18 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161029174257/http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2016/05/my-family-dinesh-palipana.html. 29 October 2016. dead.
  31. News: Dr Dinesh Palipana: A True Story of Inspiration. 6 January 2017. Pulse. 7 November 2017. en-GB.
  32. News: 'I might be quadriplegic, but I'm your doctor'. 26 February 2018. ABC News. 15 March 2018. en-AU.
  33. Web site: Disability won't stop Dinesh from becoming a Doctor – Northcott. northcott.com.au. en-AU. 18 February 2017.
  34. Web site: MIGA – Meet Australia's second quadriplegic medical intern. www.miga.com.au. 7 November 2017.
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  39. Web site: Health Wise. archives.sundayobserver.lk. 18 February 2017.
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  41. Web site: The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka No. 577/1 of 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112195249/http://www.documents.gov.lk/files/egz/2010/4/1651-03_E.pdf . 12 November 2020 .
  42. 8 October 2013. Spinal Injury Patient Gifts Medical Requirement. https://web.archive.org/web/20181117175405/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3092599151.html. dead. 17 November 2018.
  43. Web site: The Council. slspinalcord.org. en-gb. 18 February 2017.
  44. Web site: Inherent Requirements for Studying Medicine in Australia and New Zealand « Medical Deans Australia & New Zealand. www.medicaldeans.org.au. en-US. 18 February 2017.
  45. Web site: 'They are underestimating me': aspiring doctor claims disability bias. Perkins. Miki. 21 November 2016. The Age. 18 February 2017.
  46. Web site: Video – Pathways 13: Inherent Requirements combined sessions – ADCET. www.adcet.edu.au. en. 18 February 2017.
  47. Web site: GUMS AMSA Council 1 Report. gums.org.au. en-US. 18 February 2017.
  48. Web site: ANZPMEF 2017 Conference. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107165226/http://prevocationalforum2017.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/ANZPMEF-2017-Program-Grid-V13.pdf. 7 November 2017. dead.
  49. Web site: We need to show leadership. RACGP. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191206163937/https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/we-need-to-show-leadership-in-this-area-changing-v . 6 December 2019 .
  50. Web site: Dinesh Palipana's story. www.allabilities.qld.gov.au. en. 31 January 2018.
  51. Web site: Dinesh Palipana Job Access. www.jobaccess.gov.au. en. 27 January 2019.
  52. News: Stanford Medicine X ED returns to the stage this weekend – Scope. 27 April 2018. Scope. 29 April 2018. en-US.
  53. Web site: Medicine X ED 2018. medicinex.stanford.edu. en-US. 29 April 2018.
  54. Web site: TEDxBrisbane: Pub choirs, koalas and a history-making doctor. Lynch. Lydia. 4 December 2018. Brisbane Times. en. 27 January 2019.
  55. Web site: Gold Coasters among hundreds of Aussies honoured on Australia Day. McDonald. Matt. 26 January 2019. myGC.com.au. en-US. 27 January 2019.
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  57. Web site: The Team DWDA. dwda.org.au. en. 7 November 2017.
  58. Web site: Avant – Doctors with Disabilities Australia. www.avant.org.au. 31 January 2018.
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  61. Web site: VIC-TAS Regional Conference 2018. Cvent. en. 29 April 2018.
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  64. Web site: 2023-09-08 . AMA issues blueprint to support medical students and doctors with disability . 2024-05-11 . Australian Medical Association . en-AU.
  65. Web site: Health service champions diversity and inclusion. devlinka. 20 August 2018. www.goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au. en. 22 September 2019.
  66. Web site: Physical Disability Australia appoints Dr Dinesh Palipana as its inaugural ambassador. 2020-01-20. Mumbrella. en-US. 2020-02-23.
  67. Web site: Dinesh Palipana IncludeAbility. 2022-01-27. includeability.gov.au.
  68. Web site: COVID-19 and People with Disabilities by Dinesh Palipana. 2020-03-31. NDSP. en-US. 2020-05-13.
  69. Web site: QDN e-Bulletin Update April 2020. 2020-04-17. QDN. en-US. 2020-05-13.
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  72. Web site: 2020-07-22. A spinal cord injury wouldn't stop Dinesh becoming a doctor — but the system almost did. 2020-09-09. www.abc.net.au. en-AU.
  73. Web site: 2023-04-19 . Under the microscope: Review called after allegations of poor treatment at spinal unit - InQueensland . 2024-05-11 . www.inqld.com.au . en.
  74. Web site: 'I was scared': Dr Dinesh Palipana about turning whistleblower over spinal unit . 2024-05-11 . AusDoc . en-AU.
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  81. Web site: Paralysed Man Using Virtual Reality To Walk Again . 2024-05-11 . 10 play . en-AU.
  82. Web site: Sanderson . Jacelyn . 2023-10-30 . Precinct collaboration star ‘BioSpine’ research receives major funding boost . 2024-05-11 . Lumina Gold Coast . en-AU.
  83. Web site: Dr Dinesh Palipana · people · Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation. www.pcsrf.org.au. en. 31 January 2018.
  84. Web site: 'Thought control' approach to spinal injury rehab raises new hope. www.scimex.org. 26 February 2018 . en. 15 March 2018.
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  91. Web site: My Family – Dinesh Palipana. 25 May 2016. ABC Brisbane. en-AU. 18 February 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161029174257/http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2016/05/my-family-dinesh-palipana.html. 29 October 2016. dead.
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  93. Web site: BBC World Service – Outlook, Dr Palipana, the quadriplegic ER medic. BBC. 10 September 2019 . en-GB. 22 September 2019.
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  96. Web site: The Man in Bed 10. www.pulse.lk. 2 March 2018 .
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  98. Web site: 2021-08-16. In Adversity's Face: Kerry O'Brien in conversation with Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM. 2021-09-15. Griffith University. en-US.
  99. Web site: In Adversity's Face: Kerry O'Brien in conversation with Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM. 2021-09-15. HOTA. en-AU.
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