QRI enhancements include an Outpatient Pediatric Speech Therapy Clinic expansion, the renovated Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit and a new Physiotherapy Gym targeting musculoskeletal therapy
Doha, 17 March 2024: Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) has unveiled a series of notable enhancements to its pediatric and neuromusculoskeletal patient care services. As part of this ongoing commitment to elevate healthcare standards, QRI invested in its Outpatient Pediatric Speech Therapy Clinic expansion, the renovated Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, and the introduction of a state-of-the-art Physiotherapy Gym dedicated to Neuromusculoskeletal patients.
Senior executives from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), including Acting Assistant Managing Director and Chief of Tertiary Hospitals Group at HMC, Ali Al Janahi, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Abdulla Al-Ansari, and Acting Chief Nursing Officer, Ms. Mariam Al-Mutawa, toured these facilities on the 4th of March 2024, seeing firsthand the advancements made at QRI.
Dr. Hanadi Al-Hamad, Deputy Chief of Long-Term Care, Rehabilitation, and Geriatrics at HMC emphasized that while this phase of service improvements primarily targeted pediatric services, the needs of older patients with Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions were duly considered.
"As people age, maintaining musculoskeletal health and mobility becomes more challenging and conditions like sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and arthritis become more prevalent. Approximately half of our physiotherapy patients in the outpatient clinics are older patients with neuromusculoskeletal conditions. ," noted Dr. Al-Hamad. "The newly established 'Khutuat' (خطوات or steps) Physiotherapy Gym is a specialized facility catering to older patients enabling us to provide more specialized care delivered by experts in their respective fields. The new facility will allow us to reduce waiting times from more than five weeks previously to about 14 days once fully operational.”
The recently refurbished Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, situated on the fourth floor, offers outstanding services tailored to the unique needs of children in Qatar. With fourteen individual rooms, including two executive rooms, the unit provides daily intensive therapy sessions delivered by highly specialized therapists. Unique color patterns and designs, suitable for an ambiance of playfulness and calmness, automatic sliding doors, and state-of-the-art technologies, characterize the revamped pediatric inpatient rehabilitation area. Dedicated rooms for speech and language development are equipped with innovative devices and educational toys.
Dr. Mahmoud Abeidah, head of the Pediatrics Rehabilitation Department at QRI, highlighted the unit's offerings, stating, "Our focus is on delivering excellent care that includes an amazing infrastructure designed to facilitate customized rehabilitation for our patients. The facility boasts an ultramodern gym with equipment such as a state-of-the-art robotic treadmill training system for assisted walking or gait training, an overhead hoist for safer exercise practices, and various tools for physical and occupational therapy. Specialized activity rooms with soft flooring encourage free play. These include a swing for vestibular rehabilitation to help children with issues such as imbalance, sensory processing disorders and vertigo.”
The newly commissioned multi-purpose area is used for case conferences and interdisciplinary services like Visual Gait Analysis for orthosis prescription, sensory based feeding activities in group session and evening group activities. For children diagnosed with feeding and swallowing disorders, the dysphagia team conducts consultations in a dedicated clinic room, providing tailored feeding therapies.
The Outpatient Pediatric Speech Therapy Clinic expansion addresses the growing demand for improving pediatric patients' ability to communicate effectively. With six additional rooms, the clinic aims to reduce waiting times from referral to professional assessment, as well as from assessment to treatment and follow-ups. The expansion, which includes special interior designs to provide a welcoming and calming environment for patients and carers, also focuses on enhancing service quality to accommodate more follow-up sessions.
Mr. Jamal Kutkut, Pediatric Speech and Language Pathology Director, elaborated on the clinic's offerings: "Our focus encompasses a range of speech pathology disorders, both developed and acquired, for pediatric patients aged from birth to 14. The clinic provides five main services: Speech and Language clinic, Pediatric Dysphagia clinic, Communication Aid clinic, Voice and Resonance clinic, and Fluency clinic. We maintain a collaborative culture to encourage communication and decision-making, ensuring a better health service experience for children and their families."
