Rehab centre's services 'are of high standard'

Abu Dhabi: An official from a humanitarian organisation has refuted claims made by patients and staff that conditions at an Abu Dhabi based rehabilitation centre have deteriorated in recent months after a change in administration.

Mohammad Al Hameli, Secretary General for the Zayed Higher Organisation (ZHO) for Humanitarian Care, Special Needs and Minors Affairs, said the reorganisation may have resulted in unsatisfactory results for some people at the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre, but that the centre's services remain of a high standard.

Gulf News reported last month that patients were complaining of poor services at the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre, and the centre's staff mentioned a lack of appropriate training to deal with disabled patients.

"Every institution has problems," said Al Hameli. "We don't say that we have the best centre, and no one can really achieve that. It's hard to achieve perfection, especially when you are dealing with disabled people."

The ZHO took over the centre's administration in 2004, a move that prompted an organisational restructure and staff movement. Al Hameli said the number of staff at the Abu Dhabi Rehabilitation Centre was downsized mainly in the administrative and support services departments, and that they are now concentrating on recruiting specialist care-givers and physiotherapists.

Patients

The centre currently caters to 95 inpatients and employs 135 staff members.

Officials at the ZHO took offence at a remark made by a patient from the centre regarding the food that was being served. Rashid Salem Al Humaidi, a patient at the centre since 1999, had said that the portions served at the centre were not enough to satiate "a cat on the street".

"The food that was given at the centre before the ZHO took over the administration used to be like hospital food," said Al Hameli. "When we took over, we made a new menu as we don't like to consider the people at the centre as patients.

"It's a challenge to achieve good quality of life when you work with old people and disabled people," said Al Hameli. "We are limited with our space at the centre, so we are less active with regards to social events, as it can bother the older people."

Expansion project

Al Hameli added that an expansion project for the centre is under way, with a tender being floated to various contracting companies to build a new centre near Al Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

"The funds for the new centre were given by the Zayed Charity Organisation, totalling an amount of Dh60 million," he said.

"The tender will be awarded by the end of this year, and the building should be complete two years from then. We are planning to accommodate between 150 and 200 inpatients, and there will also be a special clinic reserved for geriatrics."

"We don't say that we have the best centre, and no one can really achieve that. It's hard to achieve perfection, especially when you are dealing with disabled people."