HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari has toured the Qatar Rehabilitation Institute's (QRI) recently established female outpatient Physiotherapy-Orthopaedic unit and the expanded Paediatric Outpatient Speech Therapy Clinic to witness the benefits of these services to the quality of patient lives.
QRI and Rumailah Hospital medical director Dr Hanadi al-Hamad explained the commitment of her team to establish more tailored services to QRI’s patient groups. “This physical therapy facility is dedicated to female adult patients with musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions, including post-surgical or traumatic cases. It is staffed by expert female therapists, which is especially important for many of our local patients who may be more reluctant to visit a mixed male and female facility or be treated by a male therapist.”
The female outpatient Physiotherapy-Orthopaedic unit, located on the first floor of QRI, provides specialised physical therapy for adult Qatari female patients. It will offer a variety of evidence-based physical therapy techniques and modalities aimed at helping female patients develop, maintain, and restore maximum body movement and physical function. The unit features new state-of-the-art equipment that will be used during therapy sessions following a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan by one of the expert therapists. Tailored individual and group exercise-based rehabilitation programmes offer help to patients who may be experiencing pain and mobility restriction due to disease, injury, or musculoskeletal deformity.
Physical Therapy Department chief Noora al-Mudahka said the unit is designed to offer an unparalleled quality of care and service which is safe, effective, and people-centred for the people of Qatar.
"The skilled and knowledgeable physiotherapists are committed to providing compassionate and evidence-based therapy to each of our patients, ensuring that they have a pleasing health experience. Through the advancement of knowledge, practice, and harnessing state-of-the-art technology, we promote optimal health outcomes for our patients who require physical conditioning following a disease or surgery, managing their chronic pain or conditions to help improve mobility, health, and even minimise the patients' reliance on excessive pain medication."
“Our main focus is on maximising each patient’s functional potential by introducing individually tailored exercise and manual therapies, electro-mechanical and physical modalities to achieve pain relief that enables them to be more mobile and enjoy greater independence and quality of life. We provide a holistic approach that involves the patient and the family in clinical decision making and plan of care,” added al-Mudahka.
The Paediatric Outpatient Speech Therapy Clinic caters to the paediatric population from birth until 14. The clinic offers five main services, including a Speech and Language Clinic, a Paediatric Dysphagia clinic, a Communication Aid clinic, Voice and Resonance clinic, and a Fluency clinic. Outpatient paediatric Speech-Language Pathologists work closely with colleagues to provide better health service and experiences to children and their families, within a collaborative culture to encourage communication and decision making.
“We have added 12 therapy rooms in the Paediatric Outpatient Speech Therapy Clinic. The additional capacity to see more patients will help us to provide better access to care for more children. This early intervention is often critical in achieving good results that will help motivate the child as well as the parents. Our professional healthcare teams have their patient’s best interest at heart and were therefore hugely instrumental in getting these service improvements implemented,” said Dr al-Hamad.
Eman Yousef al-Mulla, chief of Speech Therapy Department and the focal point for Speech-Language Pathology in Qatar, explained that the additional capacity will contribute by reducing patients waiting time: “Our focus is on children coping with speech pathology disorders, including developed or acquired disorders, where early intervention is crucial. The 12 additional treatment rooms will help to speed up the time that children can be seen, this includes getting the referral to professional assessment and followed by treatment. We aim to enhance the quality of service to our patients and their family, and this service enhancement will enable us to better accommodate patients who may need additional follow-up sessions.”
The Paediatric Outpatient Speech Therapy Clinic is designed to help patients' develop their ability to communicate in a way that improves their quality of life.
