WPP holds physical therapy workshop

Through the World Paediatric Project (WPP), St Vincent and the Grenadines has become a hub for various types of activities, including a physical therapy workshop that was held last weekend.{{more}}

On Saturday, physical therapists from Trinidad and St Lucia, as well as local physical therapists gathered at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to take part in a workshop that focused on the rehabilitation of paediatric musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions.

The WPP team that headed the two-day workshop, included paediatric physical therapists Kim Wesdok, Kathy Sexton, Irene Lewis and two students, Megan Hoffsis and Stephanie Pellar.

Janelle Ballah, a local physical therapist, welcomed the regional participants to the workshop.

“Access to continuing education is pretty difficult, especially in this part, and also very expensive, so we are glad that Kim can come and share with us,” she said.

Ballah expressed gratitude to the WPP team, noting that they keep the physical therapy department in St Vincent and the Grenadines well informed and well stocked.

“Supplies are also very hard to come by, especially in specialized things like paediatrics,” the physical therapist said.

In his remarks, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Luis deShong echoed Ballah’s sentiments.

“I’m happy that the World Paediatric Project has, again, mounted this training in physical therapy. We had it last year and we have it again this year,” he said.

“I want to thank WPP again very, very much. It’s important to understand that no government in this world can deliver health care services to its citizens completely on its own. There must always be some partnership in going forward…it doesn’t matter if you are in the developed world or the developing world. There has to be partnerships in the delivery of health care.”

In addition, deShong noted that the workshop was a thrust towards improving health services in this country.

“At this juncture we are seeking to further develop and organize our national health sector. We are poised towards moving to an improved infrastructural situation. What we are doing, we are developing infrastructurally throughout the system, we are developing in terms of equipment; and we are also building capacity so we find that lots of persons are being trained, whether it’s short-term, long-term, medium-term, whether it is on site somewhere or via the distance mode. These are exciting times; we are in the whole developmental stage with respect to how we deliver health care,” the Permanent Secretary said. (BK)