Following a late 2011 visit by two hand surgeons, in early January 2012 MSF opened its first unit dedicated to hand therapy to treat all patients in the Gaza Strip who require this specialized care.

Over a two-week period, French physical therapist and science writer Michel Boutan trained four Palestinian physical therapists who work at the MSF clinic in Gaza City. They were trained to perform manual screening of mobility problems, to establish appropriate treatment protocols, to manufacture orthoses (prostheses for the hand) and to use electrical stimulation properly in hand therapy, depending on the patient's illness.

A room dedicated to hand therapy was set up in the MSF clinic and outfitted with the necessary supplies. Posters showing rehabilitation exercises were printed. Today, 50 people are benefiting from this specialized care. Most are children. The common goal is to help them restore optimal use of their hand.

Palestinian Authority © Michel Boutan/MSF
In early January 2012, MSF opened its first unit dedicated to hand therapy to treat all patients in the Gaza Strip who require this specialized care.

At the end of the MSF training, local health authorities and the UNRWA* office in charge of physical therapy organized a half-day workshop to share techniques and knowledge in the area of hand therapy.

MSF trains local physical therapists in Gaza on treating burns

On Jan. 11, 2012, in partnership with the Gaza rehabilitation and physical therapy unit, MSF held a training session for physical therapists on burn treatment and rehabilitation.

The objective was to increase therapists’ knowledge and skills so patients may benefit from the techniques and elective physical therapy treatment, including splints, facial masks and compression garments. The goal is also to alleviate the serious consequences – medical, social and psychological – that people with severe burns may suffer.

The physical therapists received more than six months' training – theoretical and practical – at MSF's rehabilitation clinic in Gaza City.  At the same time, the three units specializing in burn care in the Gaza Strip (the Shifa and Nasser hospitals and the Sheikh Redwan primary care centre) were equipped with the necessary supplies, including therapy and logistical materials.

At a ceremony attended by representatives of Gaza authorities, the World Health Organization, UNRWA and local and international nongovernmental organizations, the six physical therapists who participated received a certificate after completing the training.

 

*United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, which provides services to Palestinian refugees