QRI celebrates Spinal Cord Injury Day with HITC

The Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI), one of the largest and most advanced rehabilitation facilities in the region, arranged activities with patients, their families and carers, in support of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Day, marked annually on September 5.
QRI healthcare experts wanted to raise awareness about the opportunities for people with SCI to learn to function as independently as possible and participate in their communities and enjoy a better quality of life.
A multidisciplinary team of experts from QRI collaborated with Hamad International Training Centre (HITC) to arrange a fun day out for persons with SCI and their family and carers at Place Vendôme. Thirty guests, along with family members and carers, were brought to the mall to view the Dancing Fountain's show, have dinner at CZN Burak restaurant and enjoy a range of activities arranged for them. Inpatients were selected for the outing on the basis of being deemed ready to be discharged from hospital back into the community.
QRI staff also set up an information stand at Place Vendôme for anyone interested to find out more about their specialised services for persons with SCI. The stand will be onsite and open to the public until of September 10.
Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, deputy chief for long-term care, Rehabilitation and Geriatric Care, acting CEO of QRI and medical director of both QRI and Rumailah Hospital, explained: “Breakthroughs in medical technology, rehabilitation techniques, and neuroscientific understanding have shown promising outcomes in restoring some lost functions and enhancing the quality of life for individuals with SCI. However, this Day serves as a reminder that while challenges exist, there is hope for people to achieve optimal recovery and live a fulfilling life despite the limitations brought on by a spinal cord injury.”
Carole Sabbagha, manager at Place Vendôme, commented: "We take great pride in our ongoing partnership with Hamad Medical Corporation across diverse initiatives. We are honoured to host the QRI’s Spinal Cord Injury Day at Place Vendôme, offering our support to this significant program aimed at raising awareness about the condition. The impact of SCI on people’s lives makes it a cause of utmost importance for us to endorse.”
Dr Sarafudheen Villan, consultant in the SCI Unit in QRI, added: “The goal of our professional and highly committed multidisciplinary team is to work towards ensuring that individuals with SCI have access to the specialised services and resources they need, such as technological innovations and assistive devices that empower individuals with SCI to regain independence and perform daily tasks to the best of their abilities.”