National rehab centre planned for Waterford

Barbados is to get a National Rehabilitation Centre as part of the second phase of the Geriatric Hospital project at Waterford, with services planned for people recovering from strokes, spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns, trauma and sports-related injuries, officials said Wednesday.

Dr Gerry Warner, Director of Support Services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), said the purpose-built facility will have five core functions: clinical rehabilitation, community reintegration, workforce education and development, research and innovation, and public health and advocacy.

He made the disclosure during a virtual public consultation on the Geriatric Hospital Phase II and National Rehabilitation Centre.

Outlining the centre’s clinical role, he said patients would benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation for a range of conditions, including stroke, spinal cord injuries, burns, amputations, trauma, neurological and rheumatological conditions, as well as sports-related injuries.

“This is gonna be both an in- and outpatient centre,” Warner said.

He explained that rehabilitation would extend beyond clinical treatment, with vocational training, assistive technology and home modification forming part of the process of helping patients regain independence.

“It is really getting you functional, but then also going into the community with you to make sure that your home, workplace, car, etcetera, has been adapted for you to be as independent as possible.”

The centre would also help to develop the skills of healthcare professionals locally and regionally, while creating a central hub for research and innovation in areas such as assistive devices, Warner said.

The facility will feature a clinical zone with hydrotherapy, an assistive technology lab, consultation rooms and various gyms for therapy sessions. It will also include a residential zone with accessible bathrooms and space for family members, allowing patients to begin the reintegration process while still receiving inpatient care.

The outdoor zone will feature recreational and therapeutic spaces, including walking paths with different tactile and uneven surfaces to help patients regain balance.

For athletes, there would also be track-type conditions to assist with recovery and rehabilitation, Warner said.

The multidisciplinary team will include specialists in physiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, psychology, prosthetics and orthotics, recreational and behavioural therapy, vocational therapy and podiatry.

The centre is expected to cater to patients with stroke and traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, late-stage burns, cancer and orthopaedic conditions, as well as paediatric non-neurological cases and sports-related injuries.

The centre would be particularly important given the increasing number of serious injuries associated with violence and road traffic accidents, Warner said.

“Unfortunately, with our increase in violent activity, gunshot wounds, etc – we do have traumatic brain injuries, motor vehicle accidents as well,” he said.

He added that the centre could result in better health outcomes and economic savings through more intensive rehabilitation and reduced disability.

Warner said he saw the facility positioning Barbados as a regional leader in rehabilitation, with the centre working alongside the University of the West Indies, the community college and other health training institutions.

The ultimate goal was greater equity by demonstrating what members of the disabled community can achieve when supported in returning to independent lives, Warner said.

(SB)