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Top stories 2
Top stories 2
Wheelchair Orientation Program organised by Mobility India (MI) in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS)
Since the inception MI has been involved in provision of assistive devices, therapeutic interventions aimed at improving the health & well-being of persons with disabilities. Since 2002 MI has been conducting a wide range of long and short term courses aimed at professional development of rehabilitation personnel.
MI in collaboration with RGUHS has organised a one day orientation program on wheelchair on 9th June, 2017. The workshop aimed at creating awareness on WHO Guidelines on the provision of manual wheelchairs in less resourced settings among the faculties, sensitising the faculties on the need of wheelchair provision and their roles and responsibilities as a trainer. It also aimed at grooming the faculties to enhance the wheelchair content in the existing Physiotherapy curriculum of RGUHS.
The program was presided by Ms Albina Shankar, Director, MI, Ms Romola Joseph, Secretary, Governing Body Member, MI and Prof Sai Kumar N, Board of Studies Chairman, RGUHS. The program was attended by 37 faculties from 18 Physiotherapy colleges of Bangalore affiliated under RGUHS and 22 Post Graduate students in Physiotherapy.
Prof Sai Kumar is an expert Physiotherapist and Policy Maker with 15 plus years of experience and currently working as Researcher & Principal of Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics (Physiotherapy). Addressing the participants Prof Sai Kumar mentioned “Wheelchair is an integral part, but we need to understand the depth of the technicalities. I wish all the participants to have an informative and enriched knowledge session”.
The participants gained knowledge on need and present scenario of wheelchair service provision, introduction to WHO guidelines, steps in wheelchair service provision as well as role of Physiotherapists and Rehabilitation Personnel in the domain of wheelchair service provision.
Mr Kennit, is a service user of MI since 2003. Due to Spinal Cord Injury he experienced reduced mobility in both of his lower limbs. Since then he is under continuous therapeutic intervention at MI. He shared his experience as “It took a practice of 3 months for me to be equipped to use elbow crutches in 2004 which I used for almost 10 years. Every time I used to fall, I acquired the confidence that I can do things on my own and used to get up. After fractures in both of my ankles I was unable to use the elbow crutches and had to rely on a wheelchair which I received in the year 2015 while attending the WSTP-Basic workshop at MI. The appropriate wheelchair and of course the dedicated efforts of each Physiotherapists who were involved with me has enabled me to do things on my own, improved my personal mobility and make me what I am today. I would request all the participant Physiotherapists to share your knowledge with your peers, clients and others to spread the awareness how a wheelchair can bring transformational changes”. Ms Jaya, Dr Rajlakshmi and Lekhana also shared their experience as how the appropriate wheelchairs has helped them in being independent, leading a dignified and satisfying life.
Sharing the take home message of the workshop, Mr M K Shridhar, an Academician who is a wheelchair user mentioned “The wheelchair has become part and parcel of many lives. What all Physiotherapists can play a role in enhancing the personal mobility of a person with disability, I have experienced at MI. There is a huge base of information available regarding appropriate wheelchair service provision. Our role as trainers is to transfer that knowledge to the students to sensitise them”.