Gia Lộc - Xuân Đăng                    

HCM CITY — A 14-year-old girl suffering from congenital clubhand and clubfoot disease is receiving physiotherapy at her house in Tân Phú District, thanks to a free HCM City  rehabilitation programme for people with disabilities.  

For six days a week, Hồ Thị Sương, a physiotherapist from the HCM City Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases, visits Nhi’s house to provide a 30-minute physical therapy session.

“The patient also has signs of curvature of the spine and a frozen hip joint, so she is doing exercises to stretch the muscles and unlock the frozen joints,” Sương said, adding that Nhi also practices exercises to reduce the curvature of the spine.  

Nhi has been treated at home since early November, Sương said.

Sương also provides physiotherapy to seven other people, including a 60-year-old male patient with hemiplegia caused by a traffic accident. One of his hands is paralysed and he cannot walk easily without falling.

“The patient cannot go to the district medical station for treatment, so I have to come to his house and give him physical therapy,” Sương said

In addition, Sương offers physical therapy for the patients’ family members at their home.

Each day, many other people with disabilities in Tân Phú District visit the district health centre’s rehabilitation division to receive free physiotherapy sessions. 

A representative of the Tân Phú District Health Centre’s rehabilitation division said that nearly 40 people have visited the centre for rehabilitation and more than 20 have been treated at home as of now.

The majority of patients have traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, paralysis of the lower climbs or quadriplegia, she said.

In addition, the centre has electronic machines to stimulate muscular activity for the rehabilitation of patients. The machines were transferred from the Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases

Tân Vũ Khánh An of Tân Phú District, whose father suffered a stroke 11 years ago, is one of 40 people receiving physiotherapy from the rehabilitation division at the district’s health centre.

“In the early stage of stroke, my father had physical therapy at another hospital and hired specialists to practise physiotherapy exercises at home,” An said.

However due to the high cost of treatment of VNĐ200,000 (US$8.6) per day, he stopped treatments for a long time, she added.

“Thanks to this programme, my father practises at the local health centre every day and has gained positive results,” An said.

The programme also encourages people to maintain an exercise practice.

The doctors demonstrate the kind of exercises they need to do to recover weak muscles and keep their balance.

The programme is part of the People with Disabilities Support Project from 2014 to 2020, approved by the Prime Minister and funded by the state.

As part of the programme, the HCM City People’s Committee assigned the city’s Department of Health and Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to develop a project to support people with disabilities.

The HCM City Hospital for Rehabilitation – Professional Diseases in District 8 is the main unit responsible for the project. The hospital also supplies equipment to District 6, District 4 and Tân Phú District.

Dr Đinh Quang Thanh, head of the Department of Rehabilitation - Physical Therapy at the hospital, said that 338 patients are enrolled in the programme, including 70 in Tân Phú District, 80 in District 6, 45 in District 4, and 44 in District 8.

The patients have disabilities caused by stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, and others.

Last month, Thanh described the programme at a dialogue between city authorities and people with disabilities held in the city. Resident Diệu Linh, who attended the dialogue, said she would seek physiotherapy to help strengthen her legs. — VNS