Myth One: Therapists only needed to pick up the bits after a war.
Well publicised work by therapists in war torn places like Afghanistan and Angola has increased the awareness of the general public but often their perception stops here: Physio and Occupational Therapy (OT) have much to offer the victims of landmines and gunshot wounds. However what Allied Health Professionals can offer is not limited to this.
1. Actual hands on clinical work.
Rehabilitation after neurological trauma, be it from a bullet, stroke or by hitting the road from the back of a pick-up.
Work with the many people with burns or following plastic surgery.
Orthopaedics - fractures, spinal injuries, post surgery for polio or the correction of talipes.
Work with children with cerebral palsy, acquired pre-, peri- or post-natally, through measles or malaria or meningitis.
The valuable input OTs can also give to psychiatry, speech therapists to those with communication difficulties and physios to those with pneumonia.
I could continue for much longer and I haven't even got to diseases such as leprosy or professions such as dietetics or radiography.
2. Management of Rehabilitation/ Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR).
The World Health Organisation's definition of CBR involves "the transfer of knowledge about disabilities and basic rehabilitation skills to the people with disabilities, their families and the community." (Chadda 1999) Most of the therapy professions are involved.
3.The setting up and management of a department in a hospital.
Not many rural hospitals have their own physio/OT depts, but many are in need of one - and often all it takes is for a qualified therapist to spend time assessing the need and setting up an appropriate service.
4.Passing skills and expertise onto someone else - a junior therapist, a nurse training as a therapy-aide or the relative of a patient/client in CBR.
The relative simplicity of many of the actual therapy techniques, means the work can continue when the therapist has left.
Myth Two: Therapists are Too Expensive.
Many rural hospitals and community projects find it very difficult to afford the wages of a national qualified therapist. Mission agencies can help either with funding, or by sending qualified therapists - as volunteers or as longer-term personnel. The therapist can , as said already, pass on their skills to others especially as many rural hospitals need only a basic therapy service, which can be provided by a trained therapy-aide.
This idea was used to the optimum in Rwanda pre-1994 with a physio and an OT at Gahini Hospital training nurses from hospitals throughout the country for 4 months in basic therapy techniques. This gave access to a basic therapy service, which was or great benefit to many people.
Cameroon's first physiotherapy department was set up by two physios working as volunteers - one for 12 months and one for 6 months. (Stillman & Gurney 1999)
Myth Three: It is Difficult to Recruit Christian Therapists to Work Overseas.
Christian students are often desperate to go overseas and with the development of the therapy student elective in most courses today they have ample opportunity and encouragement to go. Their main problem seems to be finding a mission agency that will support and help them. We need to encourage our students to catch the mission 'bug' even at this early stage.
The system with most OTs and physios today encourages them to spend two years as a junior before applying for senior posts. After this is an ideal time to encourage a career break, when the therapist has enough confidence and professional experience to work on his or her own. At this point in time it is also relatively easy to find a job on return to the UK. Organisations such as MMA HealthServe have been set up to help the process but mission agencies must be willing to use them.
Finally, believe or not, there are some therapists who are willing to give up their life in the UK to work long-term overseas and these people need to be encouraged and helped to serve God in their chosen profession and place. Therapists can often feel that they are not as valued as other healthcare staff, and this can be very off putting to even the most enthusiastic person. But to see the benefits you only need to look at Elizabeth Hardinge's work as physio in Rwanda for over 30 years, Fiona Fraser's input as a speech therapist in Argentina for the past 6 years, and Sue Knight's pioneering OT in both Rwanda and Uganda for 8 years.
Conclusion
Therapists often spend much time with individuals and families because the actual treatment requires it. In this way we often share much of our lives with these people and have a privileged insight into theirs. What an opportunity for the gospel to be communicated - in our lives and our conversation - so we not only rehabilitate bodies but also can begin the rehabilitation of the person's relationship to God.
Therapists are a vital part of the healthcare team in every part of the world and the sooner we recognise this, the sooner we can begin to work together for the benefit of the people we are called by God to serve.
References:
1. Chadda D (1999) Teager Stresses the Importance of CBR, Physiotherapy Frontline,
Vol. 5, No. 13 p23.
2. Stillman K, Gurney S (1999) Taking PT to the Heart of Africa, Physiotherapy Frontline,
Vol. 5, No. 20, p29.
Gail Oakey has spent time as a physiotherapist in Rwanda, Uganda, Romania and Coventry. She was TSCF Staffworker from 1998-2001 and currently lives and works in Sidney, Australia.
This article was first written for "Saving Health" the magazine of MMA Healthserve. It was reprinted in Interact Autumn 2001.
