Therapists attached to the Ministry of Health’s Disabilities and Rehabilitation Services underwent training in United States of America and Dubai with the hope of improving Guyana’s physical therapy services.
Director of Rehabilitation Services, Ariane Mangar made the announcement on Sunday at the launch of the 20th Rehab Week, held at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown.
Mangar said the two teams returned to Guyana with the intention of improving the quality of services provided locally.
“Most recently in a bid to upskill our young professionals, four speech therapists have visited the University of San Jose in California and four physiotherapists would have just returned from Dubai.
“They would’ve gone on these trips to observe the various rehabilitation facilities and to learn the best practices so that they can come back here and apply it here so that they can help to move the rehabilitation services forward,” the Director said.
Mangar explained that many strides were made in the department which has been operable since the 1950s.
There are currently ten occupational therapists, nine speech and language therapists, 51 physiotherapists. Three doctors and a physiatrist who also support the Department of Rehabilitation Services.
But Mangar noted that much more has to be done to improve the services provided.
She said that on many occasions the teams cannot provide the services in certain areas because the department doesn’t have the vehicles to travel and often times has to use vehicles dedicated to other departments. She said it is necessary that the department is better equipped to carry out its duties.
“We have to ensure that rehabilitation is fully available for all the population throughout their life course.
“We need to be able to integrate into all our healthcare, we need to be able to make equitable access to quality devices, especially in the hinterland areas…Rehabilitation must be a priority health strategy in Guyana as the needs for this will grow as we know one in three persons is living with a health condition that would benefit from rehabilitation [services],” she said.
