THE Ministry of Health’s Disability and Rehabilitation Division on Saturday commenced observance of ‘Rehab Week’ for which a number of activities designed to promote the value and importance of rehabilitation, while saluting the professionals who provide these services are slated to be held countrywide.
The activities commenced with a brunch at the Umana Yana and a blood drive was held on Sunday at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre.
Physiotherapist Christine Alphonso, who works at the Palms Geriatric Home on Brickdam, told the Guyana Chronicle recently that the week’s activities will also feature a trip to Essequibo that will include screening of school children.
Although the various departments across the country will be engaged in a variety of exercises, her department will be visiting Berbice to raise awareness of stroke.
According to Alphonso, this illness seems to be on the rise.
Director of Rehabilitation Services of the Health Ministry, Barbara Lawrence, told the Guyana Chronicle that ‘Rehab Week’ has been celebrated annually since 2003 and that the main purpose of it is to raise awareness about the services that are being offered across the country by the ministry.
Alphonso said she would appreciate if persons would begin utilising the services in their regions as opposed to travelling to Georgetown, as this, she said, can be very costly and time-consuming.
“We’d like to let people know that we offer the same services here,” she said.
Over the last years, she said rehabilitation services have been established in all of the regions. In Region One, such services are provided at Moruca and Mabaruma, and a unit will soon be available at Port Kaituma.
According to Lawrence, in Region Two, services can be accessed at Suddie and Charity; Region Three, at West Demerara Hospital, Leguan and Wakenaam; in Region Four, at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Palms, Ptolemy Reid Centre and at Castellani House; in Region Five, at Mahaica and Mahaicony; in Region Six, at Skeldon, Port Mourant, and New Amsterdam; Region Seven, at Bartica and Kamarang; Region Eight, at Mahdia; Region Nine, at Lethem, Annai and Aishalton; and Region 10, at Linden and Kwakwani.
Lawrence, in a previous interview, had said she was hoping that as a result of these activities, more persons would seek their services, whether they have a hearing or speech impairment, or a problem with mobility.
“We believe that everyone has a contribution to make, so although you might have suffered an injury or have become paralysed or have lost function because of some illness, you can be rehabilitated and come back to make a contribution to society and that is where we come in,” she declared.
