Tech and finances termed must for meeting rehab needs

MINGORA: Handicap International organized a four-day capacity-building workshop for the district health professionals on the Basic Rehabilitation Package - Clinical Resource (BRP-CR) in the Swat district.

The organisers said developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), this clinical resource is designed to enhance the delivery of rehabilitation services at the primary health care (PHC) level.

They said the main objective of the BRP workshop was to equip primary healthcare providers, including doctors and nurses, with the necessary skills to deliver cost-effective, evidence-based interventions for rehabilitation.

This initiative not only addresses the existing gap in technical expertise but also bridges

the financial limitations that hinder the provision of comprehensive rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (AT) services for the communities.

Speaking at the concluding session of the training, Dr. Salim Khan, the district health officer, noted that the immense challenges posed by limited technical and financial resources are a main concern in meeting the rehabilitation needs of the population.

“The KP government is doing its best to improve the status of rehab and AT services for the population. We have deployed physiotherapists at the district level in major cities of KP. However, still there is much need to provide the rehab facilities at tehsil and local level”

Acknowledging the significant efforts of the government to address this gap, he expressed gratitude towards Handicap International and ReLAB-HS consortium partners, including the Johns Hopkins University, for their ongoing work in Swat.

Taimur Ahmed Tanoli, Country Director of Handicap International Pakistan, highlighted the collaborative efforts of the ReLAB-HS team, supported by USAID and Johns Hopkins University, in assisting the KP government to integrate rehabilitation services into the healthcare system.

He stated that Handicap International is “committed to play its active role to help support the district health department in Swat for improving the rehab and AT services. For this purpose, the HI under ReLAB-HS has designed a network of care (NOC ) model to identify the persons in need of rehab and AT with the help of Lady Health Workers and referring them for treatment to appropriate facilities.”

Dr Nukhba Zia of Johns Hopkins University of USA and the lead trainer of the training, shared insights about the BRP, which encompasses eight rehabilitation pathways, including motor function and mobility, pain management, self-care, vision, hearing, mental health, nutrition and dysphagia, and respiratory and cardiovascular rehabilitation.

She said each pathway provides comprehensive guidance on patient assessment, care delivery, and monitoring plans.Waqar Qureshi, the project manager of Handicap International, said that the BRP-CR initiative is specifically tailored for primary healthcare providers and will be integrated into the existing network of ReLAB-HS activities.

He said to facilitate the integration of rehabilitation at the basic level, healthcare providers from selected facilities will be linked with rehabilitation experts at nearby district, national or sub-national referral hospitals within the NOC.