AIIMS Rehab Unit, first in Govt sector in State, benefits 17,747 in three yrs

Staff Reporter

Post-operative or post-procedural rehabilitation often remains neglected at most hospitals. There have been cases where physiotherapists or occupational therapists have helped patients, even those on ventilator, to recover fast. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur is probably the first hospital in Government sector in State which is running a Rehabilitation Unit for the last three years. Till now, 17,747 patients have availed facility of the unit. At AIIMS-Nagpur, the department is called as Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR).

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a unique discipline which aids in enhancing and restoring functional ability and quality of life to those who have physical impairments or disabilities (Divyang).

Department of PMR at AIIMS Nagpur was established in January 2021. The major group of patient include Spinal Cord Injury (135), Stroke (325), Traumatic Brain Injury (48), Amputee (65), Sports Injury rehabilitation (867), etc.

The Department has a fully equipped 20-bed ward for inpatient multidisciplinary comprehensive Rehabilitation.

Currently, the department has one Associate Professor, one Assistant Professor along with the paramedical staff including one nursing officer, three physiotherapists, one occupational therapist, one prosthetic and orthotic technician. Services available in the department include medical and surgical rehabilitation, diabetic foot care management, electrotherapeutic and interventional pain management section, paediatric rehabilitation section, neuro rehabilitation section, sports and musculoskeletal rehab section, prosthetic and orthotic section. The department is planning to establish state-of-the-art multidisciplinary neuro-rehabilitation unit, sports and muskulo-skeletal rehabilitation unit, paediatric rehabilitation unit.

Very soon, the Post Graduate training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation will be initiated in the institute along with various Fellowship programs in neuro-rehabilitation, surgical rehabilitation and diabetic foot care.

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a branch of modern medicine. It helps patients with various disabilities occurred because of different ailments to improve their life. The disabilities affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons are getting benefits at PMR. Various disorders like post-stroke paralysis, spinal cord injury paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, children of autism spectrum disorders, etc. are being treated. The purpose of PME is to make patients self-independent for all basic activities of life and re-integrate them into the main stream society, explained Dr Swapnil Sonune, Head of the Department, PMR, AIIMS, Nagpur.

According to Maj Gen (Dr) Vibha Datta SM, Director and Chief Executive Officer, AIIMS, Nagpur, the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has been catering wide variety of patients which are not only restricted to Nagpur and Vidarbha region but from peripheral parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana as well.

Prof (Dr) Manish Shrigiriwar, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS Nagpur told ‘The Hitavada’, “The department has latest advanced rehabilitation equipment which helps the disabled patients to gain functional improvement. This includes motorised tilt table, parallel bar, rehab treadmill, motorised wheelchair, ultrasound, various equipment for training of activities of daily living, hand therapy equipment etc.”