Sustainable and Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Services for Persons with Severe Disabilities in Binh Dinh and Quang Nam Provinces (Hold My Hand)

The project is implemented by the Institute of Population, Health and Development in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services. The overall goal of the program is to develop a sustainable and expandable model to improve societal inclusion of 2,000 persons with severe disabilities in Binh Dinh and Quang Nam provinces. The project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives. Baseline assessments were conducted in Binh Dinh and Quang Nam provinces, collecting information on the needs of 2,819 persons with severe disabilities in Binh Dinh and 940 in Quang Nam. Training support was provided to 50 health staff and other sector participants through launching workshops, baseline assessment training, and group discussions. Screening examinations were conducted for a total of 1,264 PWSDs in three districts in Binh Dinh province and Thang Binh district in Quang Nam province. The project has also completed a set of training materials for home-based care (HBC) for persons with severe disabilities. The training materials include eight main parts covering 35 main skills, which are divided into 42 lessons. The HMH project team has conducted 41 training courses for 681 family caregivers and collaborators in Phu Cat, Tuy Phuoc, and Tay Son districts in Binh Dinh province and Thang Binh district in Quang Nam province. In addition, 391 caregivers and HBCCs have received refresh training 1, which focuses on HBC care and GBV activities, and 325 caregivers, HBCC, and PWSDs received refresh training 2 in independent living skills in Binh Dinh province. Regular monitoring visits were conducted for 630 PWSDs by local monitoring teams and health collaborators. A total of 144 PWSDs have been referred for either assistive devices or rehabilitation services at hospitals from all project districts. To support PWSDs to enable them with better ADL functions and independent living skills, the project has conducted assessments of ADL devices and home environment in Phu Cat and Tuy Phuoc during Q2FY21. A total of 323 PWSDs in Phu Cat and Thang Binh received home environment and ADL assessment. The project has also trained 109 health staff from commune, district, and provincial levels in both Quang Nam and Binh Dinh in gender-based violence (GBV) in relation to healthcare services provision to persons with disabilities. The project has collaborated with MCNV and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Hue UMP) to train 16 health staff from 13 hospitals at district and provincial levels in Binh Dinh in occupational therapy (OT). All 16 students completed the 12-month OT training course with certificates and good study results. The project has also collaborated with University of Pham Ngoc Thach (UPNT) to train 18 health staff from hospitals and education institutions in Binh Dinh in physical therapy (PT). The project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, including delivering home-based care for 600 persons with severe disabilities, strengthening 10 interdisciplinary rehabilitation service units at provincial and district hospitals in Binh Dinh province, and training 24 rehabilitation staff in rehabilitation units in district/provincial/regional hospitals and centers in Binh Dinh. The project has also improved home-based care skills for 200 caregivers and HBCCs for PWSDs in Quang Nam and Binh Dinh, and provided improved rehabilitation services for 1,400 PWDs receiving rehabilitation services from rehabilitation facilities and units in Binh Dinh province.