Professional Team, August 2008
28/10/08 22:18
In August 2008, five working professionals
participated in a month long volunteer placement in
rural Kenya. Our diverse group was comprised of three
physiotherapists (specializing in HIV rehabilitation,
paediatrics and orthopaedics), a speech language
pathologist and a photographer to document our
journey.
While in Kenya we stayed with Mr Carilus Okidi, the director of the Disability Service Programme (DSP) in Opapo, Kenya. Mr. Okidi helped us gain insight into healthcare and rehabilitation in Kenya.
Having a guide with experience in the Kenyan health care system was an asset. There is a steep learning curve for Canadian therapists working in rural Kenya; both the health care resources and the expectation placed on the health care workers are different from the Canadian context. While working in a variety of clinical environments, we worked with patients with conditions and needs that are rarely - if ever - seen in Canada. These include leprosy, tuberculosis of the bone, celebral malaria, polio and old fractures, all of which are quite common in the area
We then had the opportunity to work at the DSP clinic in Opapo, where we were able to treat a variety of out-patients and hold an intensive in-patient training week. In addition to the clinical experience in Opapo, we worked at the Homa Bay District Hospital and ran a community outreach clinic in the town of Rodi.
Along with our clinical experiences, we presented an educational workshop that was sanctioned by the Kenyan Ministry of Health. We partnered with the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and organized a three-day conference to the physical and occupational therapists of Nyanza Province. Various topics were presented, including lumbar spine assessment, alternative and augmentative communication, HIV rehabilitation, and research methods.
The Kenyan therapists that participated in the workshop were (extremely) eager (and ready) to learn. We received positive feedback, especially regarding the research topics and the initiation of the Goal Attainment Scale (an outcome measure to quantify progress towards client goals). This was promising to us as therapists, as we were initiating a research project, that involved use of the Goal Attainment Scale by the Kenyan therapists.
From our experience, we realized that there are many differences in the manner in which Canadian and Kenyan physiotherapists work. There is currently a trend in Canada towards Evidence-Based Practice and the use of Outcome Measures. However, in Kenya this is not the case; there, is a lack of resources for people to access outcome measures and the newest research, and the Kenyan physiotherapy education does not focus on Evidence-Based Practice.
A group of Kenyan therapists organized a journal club so that they could keep informed of the current research in their field. They have requested our assistance with this journal club because the therapists do not have the resources to access journals on their own. In addition, we have been invited back to Nyanza to provide more education for the therapists, especially regarding a new research and how to incorporate it into their practice. We are extremely excited by these requests and the impact that they may have on the future of the province.
This working vacation has opened up many doors for both the Kenyans and us Canadians. We are currently searching for funding to promote the following areas:
- Nyanza Province Journal Club
- Equipment and surgeries for clients
- Further education regarding research
- Further support for Kenyan therapists in incorporating outcome measures into their practice
The Kenya Working Group believes that development in these areas is integral to creating a sustainable benefit to people with disabilities in Nyanza Province, Kenya.
We all feel this trip to Kenya was a real eye-opener. We have returned to our practices with a different mentality and philosophy. As a result of our experiences in Rural Kenya, we are able to truly appreciate what we have here in Canada. For many of us, we know that this was not our last trip involving community-based rehabilitation. As health care professionals, it is important for us to continue to realize ways in which we can make a difference.
While in Kenya we stayed with Mr Carilus Okidi, the director of the Disability Service Programme (DSP) in Opapo, Kenya. Mr. Okidi helped us gain insight into healthcare and rehabilitation in Kenya.
Having a guide with experience in the Kenyan health care system was an asset. There is a steep learning curve for Canadian therapists working in rural Kenya; both the health care resources and the expectation placed on the health care workers are different from the Canadian context. While working in a variety of clinical environments, we worked with patients with conditions and needs that are rarely - if ever - seen in Canada. These include leprosy, tuberculosis of the bone, celebral malaria, polio and old fractures, all of which are quite common in the area
We then had the opportunity to work at the DSP clinic in Opapo, where we were able to treat a variety of out-patients and hold an intensive in-patient training week. In addition to the clinical experience in Opapo, we worked at the Homa Bay District Hospital and ran a community outreach clinic in the town of Rodi.
Along with our clinical experiences, we presented an educational workshop that was sanctioned by the Kenyan Ministry of Health. We partnered with the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and organized a three-day conference to the physical and occupational therapists of Nyanza Province. Various topics were presented, including lumbar spine assessment, alternative and augmentative communication, HIV rehabilitation, and research methods.
The Kenyan therapists that participated in the workshop were (extremely) eager (and ready) to learn. We received positive feedback, especially regarding the research topics and the initiation of the Goal Attainment Scale (an outcome measure to quantify progress towards client goals). This was promising to us as therapists, as we were initiating a research project, that involved use of the Goal Attainment Scale by the Kenyan therapists.
From our experience, we realized that there are many differences in the manner in which Canadian and Kenyan physiotherapists work. There is currently a trend in Canada towards Evidence-Based Practice and the use of Outcome Measures. However, in Kenya this is not the case; there, is a lack of resources for people to access outcome measures and the newest research, and the Kenyan physiotherapy education does not focus on Evidence-Based Practice.
A group of Kenyan therapists organized a journal club so that they could keep informed of the current research in their field. They have requested our assistance with this journal club because the therapists do not have the resources to access journals on their own. In addition, we have been invited back to Nyanza to provide more education for the therapists, especially regarding a new research and how to incorporate it into their practice. We are extremely excited by these requests and the impact that they may have on the future of the province.
This working vacation has opened up many doors for both the Kenyans and us Canadians. We are currently searching for funding to promote the following areas:
- Nyanza Province Journal Club
- Equipment and surgeries for clients
- Further education regarding research
- Further support for Kenyan therapists in incorporating outcome measures into their practice
The Kenya Working Group believes that development in these areas is integral to creating a sustainable benefit to people with disabilities in Nyanza Province, Kenya.
We all feel this trip to Kenya was a real eye-opener. We have returned to our practices with a different mentality and philosophy. As a result of our experiences in Rural Kenya, we are able to truly appreciate what we have here in Canada. For many of us, we know that this was not our last trip involving community-based rehabilitation. As health care professionals, it is important for us to continue to realize ways in which we can make a difference.