Norton pleads for physiotherapy centre

Philis Chivheya and Kudzai Kugwa
NORTON residents have pleaded with the Government to provide physiotherapy facilities for children with disabilities in the town.

The initiative is being led by the Zimbabwe Parents for the Handicapped Children Association chairperson, Everlyn Mafeni.

Mafeni said Norton relies on the Children Rehabilitation Unit (CRU) from Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.

The medical team comes for physiotherapy sessions once a month and this is not enough exercise for their children.

“There is a group of nurses and physiotherapist that comes once a month to Vimbai Primary School.

“As parents, we are taught how to perform exercises on our kids, but we need frequent check-ups to avoid mistakes,” she said.

Mafeni said there was a need to have a physiotherapy centre, since it is expensive for many parents to pay a private physiotherapists.

“We have the Norton Physiotherapy Clinic, which is privately owned and charging from US$15 to US$20 per session, which many parents cannot afford.”

Jesca Dzimunye, a parent with a handicapped child, said there was need for the Government to provide Norton with a physiotherapy centre.

“I have a son who has cerebral palsy, I had to visit the CRU at Sally Mugabe Hospital once every week for physiotherapy sessions up to the time I was told to attend the Norton CRU outreach programme,” she said.

“I spent two weeks at home doing the exercises on my child until I visited Sally Mugabe Central Hospital and was told I was doing the wrong exercises,” she said.

Tsitsi Munyonho, another individual who has a child with a disability, said physiotherapy can help children with disabilities improve movement and relax stiff muscles.

“A child can stretch their body and strengthen muscles that are rarely used, enabling them to feed and do other things for themselves,” she said.

Sarah Chitsa, a Rehabilitation technician, said physiotherapy means rehabilitation, which is the restoration of function or bringing function to near normal.

“Physiotherapy is important to children with disabilities so as to restore function but differs from one child to another, depending with the severity of the condition,” she said.

Chitsa said physiotherapy plays a pivotal role to children with a disability and that is why Norton needs its own centre locally.

“Exercises are done to maintain range of motion, improve muscle strength, stimulate developmental milestones like crawling, sitting, standing and walking,” she said.

She also said if exercises are not done disability can worsen.

Norton Town Council public relations officer, Francis Kachere, said it was the Council’s vision to have world-class facilities at its hospital.

“The unavailability of that service is a thorn in the flesh for the city fathers,” said Kachere.