The rehabilitation department for children with CNS pathologies has opened at the "Vetraź" center
Two years ago, at the very beginning of mastering the new rehabilitation direction, the center, along with forming the base and accumulating methodologies, began to engage in extra-budgetary activities. The funds earned were invested in its own continuous development. Since 2017, about Br500 thousand has been allocated for the purchase of equipment, training of specialists, and improvement of the facilities. For the current year, the extra-budgetary income amounted to over Br1 million. Additional financial investments have allowed "Vetraź" to make a qualitative leap, says the chief physician of the center, Sergey Petukhov.
The comprehensive approach formed in the new department for the rehabilitation of CNS pathologies of various origins, including cerebral palsy, is impressive not only within the region but also in the republic. Some equipment can only be found here. The center has created specialized kinesitherapy rooms where classes are held using the "Exarta" method (rehabilitation on suspension systems) and therapeutic exercises with elements of Vojta, Bobath, and PNF therapy. To develop motor coordination, training sessions are conducted on the "Velogeymik" simulator.
According to the "Exarta" method, Ilya, a 23-year-old resident of Postavy, is undergoing a rehabilitation course in the kinesitherapy room after a severe traumatic brain injury. Knowing about the capabilities of the local center, he decided to restore his health here. A complex system of exercises, selected individually for each patient, allows for complete relaxation of some body muscles and activation of the necessary ones.
An interactive device is installed in the occupational therapy room.
a computerized biofeedback trainer for hand development. During the training game, the patient's psychomotor connections are restored.
Here, the children also practice specific actions for fine motor skill development and the plasticity of finger movements.
All rehabilitation sessions are conducted under the supervision of experienced rehabilitation physicians, mostly individually or in groups of two to three people. This allows for maximum effectiveness.
Often, children with psychoneurological disorders also have speech problems. In these cases, speech therapist-defectologist Svetlana Nedved joins the work. She consults and conducts sessions. The correction complex, in addition to speech articulation training using classical methods, includes logopedic massage and work with an interactive computer complex with a speech therapy program. "As a rule, the speech therapist's work is to teach the correct pronunciation of sounds. With us, the specialist uses additional massage techniques to make the brain remember the correct functioning of the speech apparatus muscles. This way, speech is restored," notes Sergey Petukhov.
"We have already spent eleven days at the center. Improvements were felt after the first sessions, and speech began to improve," said Victoria, the mother of five-year-old Karolina, about logopedic massage.
A personalized rehabilitation program is developed for each child. To this end, an assessment of the patient's treatment effectiveness is conducted upon admission, then in the middle of the rehabilitation course, and at the end. If necessary, the program is adjusted, and upon discharge, parents receive detailed recommendations for further recovery at their local clinics.
Usually, mothers accompany the children during the course. Devoting themselves to their children, they often also need various specialized medical assistance. At "Vetraze," this aspect is considered: a general practitioner's office has been opened specifically for this purpose, where parents can receive consultations and then also undergo health improvement treatments while their children are in sessions. If necessary, psychologists work with them.
The center's staff, many of whom are young, are united by their passion for their work. Moral satisfaction from the effect of their efforts is also supported by the financial aspect. Today, the average salaries of doctors reach Br1.4 thousand, and those of mid-level medical personnel - Br780. "People are passionate about their work, they are interested in the results of their labor, they see prospects and where to move forward, which motivates them to new achievements," notes Senator, Head of the Main Department for Healthcare of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Yuri Derkach during his familiarization with the conditions created in the new department of the center.
A warm moment of this visit was the presentation of gifts to children undergoing rehabilitation as part of the republican charity event "Our Children" and a heartfelt conversation with their mothers. The women spoke about their stay at "Vetraź" and expressed their wishes for its work. Many of them noted the need to open a swimming pool alongside the existing hydrotherapy center.
"This point is among the first for the near future. However, taking into account the needs of the children, it is planned to open a specialized water park with access to the open air. Water procedures in it will complement the complex of rehabilitation measures," said Yuri Derkach.
The management of the rehabilitation center has many ideas for the future related to the introduction of new methods for the psychoneurological profile. Moreover, the experience gained by its employees is planned to be extended to other rehabilitation centers in the Vitebsk region for the recovery of complex patients who have had strokes or traumatic brain injuries. "The compensatory capabilities of the body are present in adults, and the approaches to rehabilitation are largely similar. Therefore, it is planned to involve specialists from "Vetraź" in the training of rehabilitation specialists for other centers," adds the head of the regional health department.
Annually, about 3 thousand young Belarusians and Russians undergo rehabilitation at the center. The course is designed for 21 days. And this time is filled not only with recovery procedures but also with joint leisure activities for children, which the staff of "Vetraź" try to fill with interesting
events. With each passing year, the demand for "Vetrazy" is growing: currently, the rehabilitation center is concluding agreements for the health improvement of children from Russia for 2019. About 400 children are expected. Belarusians are increasingly coming here for repeat rehabilitation. It is not surprising that the issue of increasing the room capacity is also a priority for the center.