Medical volunteers with PEAAC and community media (picture courtesy of Sada-e-Watan)
Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
Second team of PEACC medical volunteers working in Islamabad
Medical
volunteers with PEAAC and community media (picture courtesy of Sada-e-Watan)
(Report on PEACC Medical Volunteers By Uzma Malik) Pakistan Earthquake Appeal
Coordination Committee (PEACC), with assistance and coordination provided by
Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA are pleased to announce that the visit of a second
Australian health professional team to Pakistan is underway.
A team of three expert health professionals is working with Pakistan Institute Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad and National Institute for Handicapped (NIH), visiting various rehabilitation centers. The team will be in Islamabad for five weeks.
In previous months, PEACC has provided earthquake victims with volunteers, specialised in the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury patients. The volunteer therapists provide training for rehabilitation workers and physiotherapists, so that these patients were able to gain effective life long rehabilitation.
At present, injured earthquake victims are at final stages of rehabilitation, where patients are being prepared for discharge from the hospital to their communities. Clinicians with experience in spinal cord injury rehabilitation were essentially needed at this time, to help organise discharge planning, living skills programs and planning for suitable accommodation.
The Australian team consists of a senior physiotherapist, Craig Drury, and two senior Occupational therapists, Madeleine Twartha and Annette Keay.
Craig Drury, a senior neuro-physiotherapist, has over 10 years experience working in all aspects of rehabilitation, from acute spinal cord injury management, specialties in community setting providing outreach, outpatient and consultative spinal cord injury services. Craig is also a lecturer at University of South Australia and regularly facilitated and co-presents workshops on spinal cord injury management for physiotherapists. His teaching and experience of working in community is proving a great asset for the education, recommendations and further management of spinal cord patients in Pakistan.
Annette Keay, an occupational therapy representative on a state-wide committee for spinal specialists has contributed to the provision of sustainable educational materials, through co-presenting posters and educational handouts on secondary complications of SCI. She also works locally for Standards Australia, and will provide valuable clinical knowledge of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and will facilitate health professionals in Pakistan provide much needed living skills and community living programs for those who sustained a SCI during the 2005 Earthquake.
Madileine Trewatha, being a member of Board of Housing South Australia, has practical experience of service provision and service management /coordination for spinal cord injury clients and regularly called to consult regarding purpose-built housing planning in various areas across Adelaide. She is enjoying her experience of working with therapists in Pakistan, as this type of work has been both a professional and personal goal of hers for a long time. .Working in the community, involved independent living skills training, transfer training, and pressure are management, home management skills training and home modifications / recommendations for accessible accommodation. Educating other health professionals, family members and carers has been integral to Madeleine's work in SCI.
The National Institute for Handicapped is a hospital that was established with the specific purpose of providing good quality, effective and affordable health care to the disabled. After the earthquake of 8th October 2006, the rehabilitation of spinal cord patients and amputees has been a primary focus. National Institute of Handicap was earmarked to provide their long term medical rehabilitation, by the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan.
PEACC has been able to co ordinate and contribute to this effort by sending expert Australian health professionals to teach physiotherapists, health care workers and families (of patients) about the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). PEACC aims to continue to provide medical support teams in the future.
source: PEACC
