Care of patients with special needs in COVID-19 scenario stressed

Islamabad : Pakistan needs to take measures for the provision of adequate physiotherapy services to Persons with Disabilities. Awareness must be raised and all health stakeholders—both public and private—must come together to provide physiotherapy services in hospitals under inclusive health care. World Physiotherapy Day demands special care of patients with special needs in the COVID-19 context as chest physio support is highly significant to enabling early recovery from the disease, ultimately reducing the burden on the health infrastructure.

In a message on World Physical Therapy Day here on Wednesday, the Country Director of Federation Handicap International (HI) Caroline Duconseille flagged the need for proactive efforts to ensure rehabilitation and recovery of people, particularly those living with disabilities. This year’s theme focuses on physio support during or in the post-COVID treatment phases.

“Physical therapy is also important for those suffering from physical injury or muscular pain, enabling them to get regain their mobility and pain relief,” said Caroline. In Pakistan, HI is providing physical therapy services along with assistive devices under various projects across the country including 6 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “To ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities in all walks of life, HI is implementing multiple initiatives including assistive support, livelihood trainings, psycho-social support, and income generation to uplift the status of persons with disabilities in targeted districts,” Caroline added.

As physically challenged people are more often neglected in health and accessibility services, HI is also working on advocacy building to help sensitize institutions.

Mentioning the important role of physiotherapists in rehabilitation, the Operations Manager of HI Maryam Khan said, a physiotherapist can help an injured or paralyzed person to get back his or her mobility with the help of physical exercises. She further noted that in Pakistan, there is still a dire need of encouraging young people to join this field and address existing gaps in the sphere.

HI is implementing various donor-funded projects as part of its efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of persons with disabilities. It is currently aiming to implement the Learning, Acting and Building for Rehabilitation in Health Systems (ReLAB-HS), a global project that will support the development of health systems that are responsive to the growing needs of rehabilitation. It seeks to co-design and implement innovative and cost-effective interventions that strengthen health systems for provision of rehabilitation, including assistive technology.

ReLAB-HS will focus on integrating rehabilitation and assistive technology services across all levels of care within health systems. The ReLAB-HS consortium comprises six international partners with expertise in health systems, implementation science, and delivery innovations.