If there’s a will, there’s a way. Such is the dictum that guided the leadership of the Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences (IRS) of Silliman University as it proceeded without hesitation a project that they had conceptualized, despite of the threat of the CoViD-19 pandemic.
When the members of the faculty brainstormed that there was a need for activities that would fall under their extension program, service-learning, and research, IRS Director Dr. Lily Ann Bautista immediately set everything in motion. However, when the pandemic struck, the implementation of their flagship project – a free physical therapy (PT) clinic – was shelved for more than a year.
It was only in May 2020, when the Dumaguete City government allowed face-to-face work, that its implementation went full swing. Under the helm of Dr. Bautista, three clinical instructors, namely Roselle Felisilda (who also served as clinical supervisor), Jarome Simon, and Erwin Arapols, prepared for accreditation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) after the clinic opened on December 1, 2020.
It underwent CHEd accreditation in September 2021 and complied with some minor deficiencies on October 13, 2021. The IRS-PT Clinic offers free outpatient physical therapy services to the indigent population. The clinic is located at Angelo King Building – Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences, Silliman University Medical Center compound. The extent of physical therapy services offered is dependent upon available physical therapists, patient needs or caseload, and solicited funds. This will serve as an avenue for internship program, extension programs and service-learning for the Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences.
The facility accepts patients belonging to various spectrums of care from the very young to the very old. The patients presenting with orthopedic, rheumatologic, neurologic, cardiopulmonary, pediatric, and special conditions may be evaluated and treated at the clinic. Clinic operations are subsidized by project supporters, donors, and internship fees.
The free PT clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. For appointments, you may text or call 0916-851-1522 or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IRSFreePTClinic.
Moreover, the IRS has also opened a rehabilitation center in Valencia, Negros Oriental, the first of its kind in the municipality. Initial talks of a partnership started in June 2020 with the barangay captain of Palinpinon, Valencia, where needs assessment was discussed. With an overwhelming positive response from the local residents of Valencia, an initial proposal of a partnership was forwarded to then Mayor Edgar Y. Teves by IRS Director Dr. Bautista, on January 18, 2022, and a meeting was set immediately.
Mayor Teves showed full support for the proposal with Resolution No. 70, series of 2022, from the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan, also favorably supporting the collaboration between Valencia, Negros Oriental, and Silliman University. The clinic opened on July 1, 2022.
The Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Outpatient Rehabilitation Program between Silliman University and the Municipality of Valencia is focused toward providing disability awareness, identifying and locating people with disability, and the application of physical therapy interventions for people with physical disabilities within the Municipality of Valencia as partner community and neighboring towns in Negros Oriental.
The facility also serves as an avenue for experiential education, a service-learning experience where students learn from a mix of formal clinical education coupled with the application of related services in the community setting. Students practice patient management skills, perform patient examination/measurement techniques, evaluate and interpret examination results, determine a physical therapy diagnosis and prognosis, evaluate patient outcomes, and design and implement a thorough plan of care.
The physical therapy services are free for all Valencia residents regardless of socioeconomic status. Clinic hours are from Monday to Friday at 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You may also call or text 0915-192-7977 or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SUValenciaCBORP.
The IRS has also been in partnership with the Municipality of Dauin for a good number of years now offering community-based rehabilitation to the underprivileged citizens of Dauin and other neighboring towns. – NWI
