PESHAWAR: The rehabilitation of polio-affected children has become possible through use of a therapeutic chart, says Dr Mehboobur Rahman, the former head of physiotherapy department at Hayatabad Medical Complex.

Addressing a ceremony at Habib Physiotherapy Complex (HPC) here on Thursday, he said that the cart was helping rehabilitation of polio-affected people in Pakistan as well as in other endemic countries including Afghanistan.

The chart, developed by him, is called “Mehboobur power evaluation and therapeutic chart for polio management”. He said that it was developed in 1989 and was being used successfully throughout the world for management and rehabilitation of polio patients.

Dr Mehboob said that the chart was put into practice and research study was conducted on 30 polio-hit children that showed 62 per cent success rate. “Since then, we have been providing services to affected patients. It has led to their rehabilitation and most of them have become normal now,” he added.

Developer says it is being used successfully throughout the world

He said that many of the rehabilitated patients were working to earn their livelihood. He urged parents to ensure rehabilitation of their affected children so that they could become safe from disabilities. He said that before development of his chart, ‘Oxford muscles testing chart’ was in use worldwide but that was only for diagnostic purpose. He said that the chart developed by him covered both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of polio patients.

Dr Mehboob said that the plan contained complete treatment regime including specific exercises to put brakes on wastage of muscles and strengthen them to walk and work. Given its effectiveness, several organisations including polio health international have adopted the chart.

He said that he had presented the chart at international physiotherapy conferences in Malaysia, Holland and other countries to help polio patients. He said that it was the most effective tool in management of polio-hit people.

He said that the province was home to scores of polio-infected children. He said that patients also required follow-ups to stay safe from lifelong disabilities. He said that significance of pathophysiology in management of poliomyelitis was very effective and essential for rehabilitation of affected people.

On the occasion, HPC launched a programme of volunteers to facilitate them in getting data and information about health, education, vocational trainings and financial status of the affected people so that they could be given support for rehabilitation.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024