Reflecting on the history of Rehabilitation Services in Guyana

Jun 21, 2020 News

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…as Rehabilitation Week 2020 [June 21 – 26] is observed

Rehabilitation Services in Guyana began 71 years ago in a small room under the X-ray department at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC). It was run by three physiotherapists, namely: Ms. Janice Simmons- Principal Physiotherpaist, Ms. Jackie Fung Thomson and Mr. Matthews. Back in 1949, the only service being provided by this group was physiotherapy, and it was only available in Georgetown.

With the need for more human resources in this service, an advertisement was sent out, inviting qualified persons to undertake a Physiotherapy Training Programme in the United Kingdom. This sparked the interest of two of the now, backbones in the Guyanese Rehab Community: Ms. Hyacinth Massey and Mrs. Geraldine Mason-Halls. Both of these scholars came back to Guyana to join Ms. Simmons and her team in the expansion of local physiotherapy services.
Physiotherapy services progressed in Guyana throughout the 1970’s as it adopted the use of ultra violet lighting for the treatment of bed sores, visits to the medical, surgical and maternity wards at the GPHC, pre and post-operative treatment for surgical patients, as well as Lamaze Classes for pregnant women. Therapists often worked from Monday to Saturday, sometimes working late into the night during these times.
The 1970’s also saw the introduction of specialized services for children with physical disabilities, with the establishment of the Polio Centre in Guyana, now called the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Complex, and a special facility, the Cheshire Home for children and young adults requiring long term care.
As more persons were becoming interested in the service, by 1985, the number of physiotherapists in Guyana grew to 16, with the inclusion of two familiar names, Mrs. Barbara Lawrence and Mrs. Beverly Nelson. By the end of 1980s, major strides were being made in the development of the local physiotherapy services with the expansion of the Georgetown unit, as well as the addition of other units across the country. These units included: the McKenzie Hospital, operated by Mrs. Harris; the Best

Hospital (West Demerara Hospital), operated by Mrs. Sharon Harper, and the New Amsterdam Hospital operated by Mrs. Paula Alexander, later taken over by Mrs. Beverly Nelson.
The 1980’s also saw the training of physiotherapy assistants, and by 1990 approximately 30 assistants had officially completed training. The first batch of students was trained by a foreign health science professional in collaboration with PAHO, Barbados and the University of Guyana. The introduction of this team of mid-level rehabilitation personnel contributed significantly to the expansion of physiotherapy services in Guyana.
Consequently, the training of physiotherapy assistants was discontinued in the mid-1990s and a new cadre of assistant-level rehabilitation practitioners was introduced, guided by Mrs. Halls. This training included basic techniques in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. The purpose of this training programme was to provide an important means of strengthening the system of referrals and increasing the coordination between the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of the health care system. These assistants subsequently became the pillars in the establishment of most of the departments in the remote regions of Guyana.
Another programme initiated by Mrs. Halls was the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme. It was started on the East Bank of Demerara for children with disabilities, and to provide services to communities in which rehabilitation services were not easily accessible. Currently, this programme extends nationwide with many CBR centers in all the regions of Guyana, providing both assistance and vocational skills for persons with disabilities.
While Mrs. Halls was interested in education, Ms. Massey had a love for management. After her five year tenure as a physiotherapist, she was appointed as the Rehabilitation Officer at the National Rehab Complex (Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre), a position she still holds today. In 1993, she became the Director of Rehabilitation Services in Guyana while still holding her position as a rehab officer. She, along with Mrs. Lawrence, helped in organizing the Volunteers Serving Overseas (VSOs) to provide training of other specialties in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. The initiation of this training was done by a psychologist who came to Guyana and found an interest in Occupational Therapy. She returned to England to retrain in the field and later returned to Guyana to dispense her knowledge. It was during this time that talks about a local degree programme came to light. Ms. Massey resigned as the Rehabilitation Director in 1998 and was succeeded by Mrs. Barbara Lawrence.
In 2004, a batch of seven locals was sent to Cuba to train in physiotherapy. In 2009, they returned to Guyana to begin their practice here. Subsequently the Medical Rehabilitation Degree Programme was introduced at the University of Guyana in 2010. This programme offered ease of access, as persons could now be trained locally as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists. To date, thirty five persons have graduated from this programme at UG.
In 2017, our first batch of locally trained Occupational Therapists graduated. In 2018, our first batch of locally trained Speech and Language Therapists also graduated. This was possible through the dedication of Ms. Massey, Mrs. Lawrence and Dr. Shaine Villareal (a VSO from the Philippines), who is currently the Programme Coordinator at the University of Guyana. This degree programme is continuously growing, with an increasing number of students enrolling each year. Graduates are equipped with a vast knowledge of up-to-date techniques in exercise therapy and modality training in the treatment of prevalent conditions existing in Guyana.
Today, Rehabilitation Services are available in all 10 regions across Guyana, with Rehab Centers in areas as far out as Bartica, Lethem and Mahdia, with the current Director of Rehabilitation Services post being held by Dr. Ariane Mangar. Newer rehabilitation services also include Audiology, provision of orthotics and prosthetics, and skills training for persons with disabilities. In addition to the rehabilitation department at the GPHC, there is a Sports Clinic run by Mrs. Beverly Nelson which caters to athletes; both recreational and professional. There is also the Palms Rehabilitation Institute managed by Mrs. Barbara Lawrence, which caters to persons with either brain or spinal cord injuries. Work was also done at the Malnutrition Ward at the GPHC, providing for children who had developmental delays due to severe malnutrition. These children were sent to the Convalescent Home, and programmes to train the care givers were established to ensure correct care for these children. Similar programmes were also organized at the David Rose School for the Handicap.
The Ministry of Health stays committed to the goal of improving the quality of life for all citizens. As such, the ministry has the responsibility of providing rehabilitation services to ensure that any persons suffering with impairment and disabilities can also regain the opportunity to enjoy an optimum quality of life.

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