More than 40 children are currently undertaking physical therapy at the rehabilitation centre at the National Rehabilitation Association Hi’it Ema Ra’es Timor (ASSERT) in Dili.
Therapist, Domingos Maia Rodrigues, said the children have weak limbs and other physical disabilities but he hopes after the therapy they will be able to lead an adequate lifestyle including helping parents with house chores.
He added the children with hand and feed problems need to undertake physical therapy regularly because their physical development was slow.
He said also the main challenge for ASSERT is the lack of human resources so they can attend more clients.
“The problem is there are only two therapists and we can only attend up to three clients everyday but we to need to increase our assistance,” said therapist Rodrigues at ASSERT.
He said the Rehabilitation Center of ASSERT only provides assistance to patients with physical problem but it does not attend patients with mental problems.
As part of the physical rehabilitation including stretching and massaging limbs the children also attend a literacy program where they learn to write and draw and take part in other activities such as going to the beach once monthly.
Meanwhile ASSERT Program Coordinator, Nazario S. da Silva, said human resources to attend patients are limited.
“The number of clients increases everyday because families have started hearing about the success of our program. Some children are able to hold things, write, and have good social interaction with the others. This means we have done well,” he said.
According to data from the National Rehabilitation Center of ASSERT from January until September 2013 the center managed to register a total of 224 children who attended therapy at the center.
He added clients are often cases referred by colleagues and partners from all 13 districts whilst some others were brought in by the family.
