December 3 - International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Honored Doctor of Ukraine Volodymyr Martynyuk spoke about the rehabilitation of children with disabilities, about where to go for help.
The Ukrainian medical center and its regional departments help with problems such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, the consequences of birth trauma and other diseases. A multidisciplinary team works here.
“A child with cerebral palsy is a medical and social problem. When a patient comes to us, he is studied from all sides. The doctor makes a diagnosis, the orthopedist checks the joints, the neurologist assesses the degree of paralysis, looks for epileptic seizures. The psychiatrist looks at the degree of intellectual development, the psychologist - what the patient can be guided on, the speech therapist corrects the speech, the teacher begins to teach literacy ",- says Vladimir Martynyuk.
Volodymyr Martynyuk - Honored Doctor of Ukraine / photo facebook Ukrainian Center for Rehabilitation of Children
How to get to the Ukrainian Medical Center
The center is state. Help for families is free here. To get here, according to Vladimir Martynyuk, you need a referral either from a pediatrician, or from a family doctor, pediatric neurologist or psychiatrist.
“True, many parents bring their children themselves. In such cases, we also look at the child, we cannot refuse. But according to the law, there must be a direction ”,- says Vladimir Martynyuk.
For those who do not live in Kiev, there is a boarding house where parents can live and eat.
Rehabilitation can last from two weeks to a month. The child receives an individual rehabilitation program. This is a set of physical exercises, classes with a speech therapist, teacher, psychologist. At the end of the course, the attending physician assesses whether the goal has been achieved. If not completely, after a couple of months we again invite the patient to our place.
Parents are required to study, because classes must be continued at home.
“When I meet with my parents, I say that the result will be mandatory, but you will have to work at least 4-6 hours a day. You see, you can find a massage therapist, speech therapist, teacher for a child. But if the parent does not master these skills himself, nothing will work, ”- the expert considers.
The center has modern equipment for rehabilitation / photo facebook Ukrainian Center for Rehabilitation of Children
Why there are so many children with disabilities in Ukraine and what to do about it
In Ukraine now, according to Volodymyr Martynyuk, there are 162,000 children with disabilities and 1,500,000 babies who can become disabled if they are not treated in time. The problem must be solved systematically. And the main thing in this matter, according to the doctor, is not the creation of new and new medical centers, but the work on the prevention of birth trauma, the development of "early medicine".
"If we have cerebral palsy - 2.5 - 3 cases per thousand children, then in civilized countries it is 0.3",- says Vladimir Martynyuk.
The reason, in his opinion, is that "early medicine" is developed there: genetic centers, correct management of pregnant women, a course is taken to reduce birth traumatism.
“There is a large percentage of birth trauma in Ukraine. This means that the degree of training of obstetricians and gynecologists does not meet modern standards. Women who have indications for a caesarean section are sent to vaginal childbirth, but they cannot give birth normally. As a result, the child has problems ",- says Vladimir Martynyuk.
A child with cerebral palsy was born. The state should immediately build work with him so that in adulthood a person has a profession, can earn money, and not sit on the neck of the state budget and family. So that he has his own apartment and his family, and not just his parents.
“In civilized countries, 65 - 75% of children with cerebral palsy have it all by the age of 18-20. There are no statistics in Ukraine. According to my subjective calculations, no more than 3-5% have a job, family, housing, ”says Vladimir Martynyuk.
The earlier you find the problem, the more chances for a successful result / facebook photo Ukrainian Center for Rehabilitation of Children
Support for parents of a disabled child
In Ukraine, according to Volodymyr Martynyuk, up to 70% of families with children with disabilities break up. Therefore, at the Ukrainian Medical Center, psychologists work not only with children, they work to keep the family together. They invite a father and a mother, they work with some mothers to give them motivation: look, you came to us with a one-year-old child.
“This mom, we show a photo, too. Now her son teaches at the university ",- Vladimir Martynyuk gives an example.
It will also be interesting for you to read:
A voucher for a disabled child: the procedure for registration
Rights of a Working Mother Raising a Disabled Child
