Doha: Two years after welcoming its first outpatients, Hamad Medical Corpaortion (HMC)’s Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) has cared for over 80,000 patients at its various clinics. The specialist rehabilitation hospital provides cutting-edge services to children and adults in need of rehabilitative care due to conditions caused by injury, disease, illness, and ageing.

“We provide high-quality compassionate care to patients who have suffered a stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, as well as those with a variety of conditions that cause physical pain.

Our operations span five rehabilitative programs and have been very successful,” said Dr Wafa Al Yazeedi, Chairperson of Rehabilitation at QRI.

QRI provides general rehabilitation services comprising inpatient care, day care, outpatient and pediatric clinics, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, as well as community-based rehabilitation.

The first of its kind in the region, the specialist facility has over 150 staff, including physicians, nurses, and occupational, physical, pediatric, and speech therapists who each hold advanced certification in diverse clinical specialties, ranging from orthopedics to geriatrics.

The facility has seven hydrotherapy pools, eleven advanced gyms, a specialist sensory room, and an assisted living unit in which patients can relearn daily tasks and readjust to life at home.

Dr Al Yazeedi said that in 2018 a number of new services were launched at the QRI, including assistive technology services (sponsored by the Qatar Assistive Technology Center-MADA) and a supervised gymnasium.

“Assistive technology is helping our patients to improve their communication and functional skills through the use of specialised technologies, while the supervised gym has helped to empower them to be more independent and confident through exercising, which is recommended as follow-up therapy after they have completed their outpatient services and are ready for discharge,” said Dr Al Yazeedi.

She also said that there plans for the addition of a number of new services in the coming year, including an expansion of the existing stroke rehabilitation program, the commissioning of new services for pediatric patients, and the launching of Easy Street, a rehabilitation program which helps patients practice the skills they need for independent living.

“At QRI, we are working in line with the provision of the National Health Strategy 2018-2022 to ensure health and well-being for people with special needs or disabilities by giving them access to high-quality care.

The NHS 2 recognises that disability is a public health challenge and people with disabilities face barriers in accessing health and related services, such as rehabilitation. We have helped all our patients overcome these barriers as our existing programs and services are easily accessible by patients and are made up of clinical and therapy services which are selected and adapted according to each patient’s needs by our interdisciplinary team of clinicians and therapists,” said Dr Al Yazeedi.

“We hope to continue this trend with our new services and ensure our clinicians and therapists work together to develop a personalised program of care for each of our patients according to their individual rehabilitation requirements,” added Dr Al Yazeedi.

Source: The Peninsula Qatar