Quadriplegic Sri Lankan born spinal doctor is Queensland’s Australian of the Year
BRISBANE – The 36-year-old founder of Doctors with Disabilities Australia is Queensland’s 2021 Australian of Year.
Sri Lankan born Dr. Dinesh Palipana OAM is senior resident at the Gold Coast University Hospital, a recent law graduate as well as the doctor for the Gold Coast Titans physical disability rugby league team.
He has built an international profile through his speeches with TEDx talks and has contributed immensely to spinal research in Australia.
Dr. Palipana was named by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a special presentation on Tuesday (10) night, ahead of the national Australia Day awards in January.
“Dr. Dinesh Palipana knows no barriers,” Palaszczuk said on Tuesday night, adding, “He is a truly inspiring person and a much-deserved recipient of the Queensland Australian of the Year Award.”
Dr. Palipana is the first quadriplegic medical graduate and medical intern in Queensland.
“As co-founder of Doctors with Disabilities Australia, he helped create national policies for inclusivity in medical education and employment,” Palaszczuk said.
“He speaks, writes and advocates for the equitable treatment of people with a disability and has contributed significantly to the advancement of treating spinal cord injuries and restoring functions for people with paralysis.”
Dr. Palipana was seriously injured in a car crash on Brisbane’s Gateway Bridge in 2010 that robbed him of the use of his legs and left him with limited use of his arms.
While recuperating from his injury, Dr. Palipana, who was born in Kandy, spent some time in Sri Lanka, during which time he was noted for raising awareness and funding for spinal cord injury in the country. In 2013, he gifted a stock of medical supplies for spinal cord injury to then President Maithripala Sirisena Dr. Palipana sits on the council of the Sri Lanka Spinal Cord Network.
In 2019 he began research on equipment that could – in the future – help people with disabilities walk, or even ride a bike again.
Dr Palipana and fellow researchers are working on a BioSpine which reads brain patterns, bypasses the spine and sends sends electric signals to a patient’s legs.
-brisbanetimes.com.au/ENCL