Dow Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Karachi
INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION (IPM&R) has been established in the old DMC hostel block, as there is an ever-growing incidence of people with disabilities caused by traffic accidents, bomb blasts and violence, natural disasters such as earthquakes, amputations due to diabetes and congenital abnormalities, besides other problems. There is an urgent need to provide them not only rehabilitative care but also make changes at community level to help them live as independent members of society.
It is the first ever institute of its kind in Pakistan. It provides comprehensive multi-disciplinary rehabilitation services with facilities to help patients in Cardiac Rehab, Neurological Rehab., Musculoskeletal Rehab., Pediatric Rehab, Speech and Language Rehab, for an active and healthy lifestyle of the patients. Hence patients of stroke, TIA, head & spinal injury, GB syndrome, neuropathy, Polio, IHD, CCF, CABG, Chronic arthritis, backache and frozen shoulder etc, are being benefited.
The Institute has multidisciplinary rehabilitation team, which includes Physiatrists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Vocational Therapists, Orthotists and prosthetics, Language and Swallowing Pathologist, Clinical Nutritionist and a Clinical Neurophysiologist, Speech therapist and special educationist. It also provides outpatient and community-based rehabilitation services.
This institute has three specialized schools:
The School of Occupational Therapy offers 4-year bachelor course in Occupational Therapy, a challenging field for both male and female.The Faculty (Academic and Clinical) is experience and fully trained.The qualified therapists not only serve the patients but also cater the training the under graduate students.The fully equipped department of occupational therapy is managing about 25 to 30 patients per day. Since its establishment fifteen thousand patients have been treated.
The School of Physical Therapy also has started a 2-year MS Physiotherapy program. Foreign faculty members were recruited to introduce the MS Physiotherapy program and started comprehensive rehabilitation services, i.e. cardiac, neurological musculoskeletal and pediatric rehabilitation services. The attached department is currently providing physiotherapy services to more than 55 patients per day. Since its establishment 14000 patients have been provided with physiotherapy services.
The School of Prosthetics and Orthotics offers 4-years Bachelor Courses in Prosthetic & Orthotic Sciences. It is the first of its kind in Pakistan, with qualified staff who help in the designing and fitting of Prosthesis and Orthosis (artificial limbs). More than 2000 people have been provided with artificial limb until now.