QEH rehab unit set up as more stroke patients need therapy

Physiotherapists at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) are struggling to keep up with the rising number of stroke cases, leading to the development of a specialised stroke unit within the hospital, the head of the physiotherapy department has said.

“Stroke rehabilitation is not quick unless it’s a mild stroke,” said Dr Gerry Warner, chief physiotherapist. “Anybody beyond that, you’re looking at usually the first six months to try to maximise their return. We get between two and three strokes a day in Barbados – that’s a high number.”

“We have a stroke unit set up at the hospital where we have a mixture of QEH therapists and private sector therapists who come in to offer gold-standard treatment on that ward,” he told the QEH Pulse Radio Show on CBC Q100.7 FM. 

However, this approach has stretched the department’s resources, with Dr Warner noting that it “extends our staff, who are already limited, sometimes to the breaking point”.

Physiotherapist Dr Alicia Grace highlighted the impact of strokes, particularly on younger patients. 

“When you’ve had a stroke and you have the residual weakness on one side of the body, it is life-altering,” she said. “We’ve been seeing a lot of younger persons now who are experiencing these types of life-altering situations.”

To alleviate the pressure on the main hospital, the Physiotherapy Department has expanded its services to a clinic at the St Lucy District Hospital. 

“To help counteract that,” Dr Warner said, “we’ve expanded some services to one particular polyclinic at the St Lucy District Hospital, which helps us to move some patients off.”

The importance of family support in the rehabilitation process has also been emphasised. 

Physiotherapist Dr Alicia Grace.

Christine Greenidge, CEO, Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“Family support is also very, very important,” Dr Warner said. “Once you have a good nucleus of support around you, you will find that those persons are also more motivated to get better.”

Dr Christine Greenidge, the hospital’s chief operations officer, said: “Rehabilitation is not just physical; it’s about restoring balance, coordination, and ultimately, independence.”

The hospital has also integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into its rehabilitation services, offering patients additional options for pain management and
recovery. 

“Traditional Chinese medicine uses things such as acupuncture, moxibustion, which is the burning of particular herbs, and a specialised massage to manage very much the same conditions that we manage in what we would call a Western medicine way,” Dr Warner explained.

Despite the challenges, the physiotherapy team at QEH declared it remains committed to providing the best possible care for their patients. 

“We really want to push that message: adjust your diet, exercise, take your medications, and everything in moderation,” Dr Warner added.  

(RG)