facebooktwittertelegramwhatsapp
copy short urlprintemail
+ A
A -
webmaster
CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
THE Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) received as many as 5,385 patients, who required occupational therapy across its different facilities in 2018. The patients included 1,576 Qataris and 3,809 non-Qataris, both children and adults.
Patients who have suffered stroke, or spinal cord and head injuries, as well as those havingneurological
issues such as cerebral palsy are normally provided
occupational therapy.
Paediatric patients that are provided this therapy include those with cerebral palsy, autism, developmental delay, premature children, children with writing problems, social problems and feeding problems among others.
HMC Chief of the Occupational Therapy Department Sultan Salem Hammam al Abdullah said that theoccupational therapy seeks to help a patient participate in the daily activities.
He said that the number of such patients has been increasing every year, especially in the outpatient. “For the inpatient, bed capacity is being increasedat Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) and other facilities. We are also trying to increase the number of therapists to attend to the increasing number of patients.”
Abdullah said that they help patients go back to their daily activities after they are disabled by a disease. “We help them psychologically and physically,so they live with maximum ability that they can have.”
He added that they help those having difficulties in performing the activities of daily living, perform better and stay safe. “We also look at all aspects of the patient’s life-his behaviour as well as mental, physical and environmental issues - in a totality to serve him better.”
According to him, the patients are advised on how to sit up when they wake up from the bed; how to transfer themselves to the wheelchair; how to brush teeth, especially for those with stroke; how to use toilet; and how to put on clothes by themselves.
Abdullah said that the HMC has occupational therapy clinics at Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI), as well as its facilities at Al Wakrah and Al Khor, Enaya Specialised Care Center, Mental Health Services, Rumaillah for Geriatric Patients and National Center for Cancer Care and Research, among others.
“The facilities have both paediatric as well as adult clinics. The children seen in these clinics are aged up to seven years”, he informed.
He said that some of the children who are born prematurely have a problem with suckling and they train them on how to do so.
According to him, they also have programmes for children who have difficulties with writing where they are taught how to write.
Those who cannot stand are trained on how to stand as well as how to do their daily activities.
According to him, the services are offered for free.
He advised that if one discovers that a child has a problem, he/she should take the child to HMC to be assessed for early intervention.
copy short url   Copy
10/12/2019
652