The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Modern technology is evidenced to be a big relief in post-hospitalisation care. NMC Provita International Medical Centre-Long-Term/Home Care Services medical director Dr Khaled Aboeldahab cited three noteworthy cases of the pioneer for post-acute care since this was established in 2011 in the UAE and has so far a minimum of 190 beds at designated facilities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai, in Muscat (Oman), as well as private units at the NMC Royal Hospital in the capital, the Al Zahra Hospital in Sharjah.

Aboeldahab was interviewed as even after the 2018 purchase of the latest Eye-Tracking and Gaze Interaction-Based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device, only two patients had enrolled and so far benefitted, “people are given much hope.”

“One of the key modern technologies we have allows paralysed patients to control their surrounding environment through glasses and computers,” said Aboeldahab.

He added: “We have the AAC that helps improves the lives of individuals with disabilities by enabling them to communicate and control their environment and gain greater independence through their eyes.”

Management decided to go for the AAC as it saw the requirement for it since through the years, it has noticed the rise of numerous cases of paralysis, spinal cord injury, repetitive strain injury, and severe carpal tunnel syndrome across the region.

Severe carpal tunnel syndrome is the numbness and tingling pain sensation when the median nerve situated between the hands and wrists is squeezed and compressed.

Explained Aboeldahab: “The AAC, with the help of the computer, only requires the movement of the eye itself without requiring the motion of the other muscles, found to be a perfect solution to patients with rehabilitative disabilities such as those which I had mentioned.”

He said there is a demand for post-acute care which may be rehabilitative or palliative (may include all proven approaches to ease the pain) services depending on the intensity of required patient care and which may be completed at a designated and authorized centre or unit, as an ongoing outpatient therapy or as home care.

According to its records, the NMC ProVita had its first paediatric case of congenital anomaly in 2012 and its youngest patient was a premature baby admitted and confined for a period of time when he was seven weeks old.

Aboeldahab shared three other cases:

n A 23-year-old Emirati women afflicted with cerebral palsy and hypothyroidism. She was a patient at the Sharjah facility. She and her mother are “now much happier” because she now with all the long-term care and rehabilitation needs the multi-disciplinary medical team has provided her, now interacts more and has been taking pureed food orally. “Physiotherapy helped her learn to roll from a supine position independently.”

n Thought to become bed-ridden throughout her life after a medical surgery in 2017, a kidney transplant patient underwent a “bio-psychosocial approach to her treatment plan for generalized muscle weakness and severe muscle de-conditioning. Her family was a part of the treatment plan: “She was a difficult case with physical and psychosocial barriers preventing her recovery. The multi-disciplinary team decided to include regular medical and multi-disciplinary team meetings with her family.” She was discharged on Oct. 25, 2018 from the Al Ain facility.

n A five-year-old girl went home recently after having stayed at one of the authorized facilities since delivered in 2014. She was the only survivor among quadruplets. She had a number of health concerns due to the complication of premature multiple birth delivery.

NMC ProVita International Medical Center, a subsidiary of the UAE’s largest private healthcare provider NMC Healthcare, is the pioneer for post-acute care (including long-term care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, home health services and hemodiyalsis) in the Middle East.

NMC ProVita specialises in the treatment and management of non-acutely ill patients of all ages requiring premium personalized healthcare services in a comfortable and compassionate setting. NMC ProVita employs a team of specialized physicians, nurses and therapists who focus on improving patients’ quality of life with cutting edge medical solutions and customized treatment programmes.