DUMAGUETE CITY – The Silliman University Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences (SU-IRS) opened its physical therapy (PT) clinic at the Angelo King Building on December 01 to provide free PT services/sessions prioritizing patients from low-income households who have little access to healthcare services.
The IRS Free PT Clinic aims to advocate better access to PT services for the underprivileged and provide high-quality and compassionate care amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to IRS director Dr. Lily Ann Bautista.
Bautista said that the main approach of the Free PT Clinic program is to teach patients how they can continue their treatments at home and teach their caregivers, such as their family members, how to manage the patient’s PT needs.
Instead of requiring patients to have regular
PT sessions in the clinic, Bautista went on t
hat the clinic wants to make sure
that patients can continue with their physical therapy on their own and visit
the clinic only for the progression of their home program or follow-up visits.
“What is important is not the patient coming to the therapy, but what they can do outside of therapy to be functional in their own home or community,” Bautista added.
According to her the Free PT Clinic program aims to shed light on the need to continue other forms of healthcare and treatments that are not related to COVID-19. While the healthcare system focuses on the pandemic, she said that PT programs should continue because the condition of patients who need PT and rehabilitation can worsen in quarantine when patients are not able to get treatment.
“COVID-19 right now is the center of our world,
but what about the outliers? What about the things that’s going on outside of
COVID-19?” Bautista asked. She assured
the public that the clinic has health protocols in place for safety and
protection from COVID-19.
The clinic caters to only two patients per hour and accepts patients by appointment only to avoid overcrowding. Patients are required to wear a mask and face shield, as with the physical therapists and student-interns who will be in the clinic. Patients need to undergo triage before and after entering the clinic.
Gloves will be worn by physical therapists and student-interns for treatments that require physical contact with the patient. The treatment room and equipment will be disinfected after each treatment and will be disinfected again at the end of the day.
Bautista stated that the IRS PT clinic here in
Dumaguete also serves as the place of internship for those PT students who are
taking up their internship but cannot train outside Dumaguete City due to
quarantine restrictions.
As an extension program of Silliman University, the clinic adopts the service-learning approach of the University. Student-interns will provide the treatment in the clinic while being accompanied by IRS clinical instructors who are licensed physical therapists, Bautista explained.
“Service-learning should start from the beginning of college education because this allows students to know what they’re serving, their capacity, and what is it that they’re in for. It’s about being involved and showing to the student the people they will be serving in the future,” Bautista said.
Aside from promoting volunteerism and
service-learning, Bautista bared that the clinic can also be an avenue for
research to assess current realities of patients in indigent communities. Patients
will be screened to make sure those who have financial limitations will be
prioritized.
Those who want to get treatment from the clinic must set an appointment through the clinic’s Facebook page or official contact number. The clinic is working with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the City Council to identify and inform low-income households about their free PT services.
Those with indigent cards can automatically set an appointment, while those who do not have indigent cards can get a certificate from the barangay or the mayor to show that they are from low-income households.
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