Physiotherapy Fully Reloaded on Decentralised Clinical Training Programme

The UKZN School of Health Sciences’ Physiotherapy Department began its second-year of the Decentralised Clinical Training Programme (DCTP) in 2018 by adding Manguzi to the list of rural hospitals that the students go to. The other hospitals include; GJ Crookes, Madadeni, Newcastle, Murchison, Port Shepstone, and Ngwelezane Hospitals in addition to the three urban hospitals which the Disciplines fourth-years attend, namely ; Albert Luthuli, Prince Mshiyeni and Mahatma Gandhi Hospitals.

The Discipline recently invited the Department of Health’s (DoH) Physiotherapists to a training workshop on the platform. The training included a CPD-accredited presentation on health advocacy by Samantha Khan-Gillmore from the Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP).

The fourth-year students are currently busy with their first clinical block, which is going well thus far, according to Physiotherapy Academic Leader Saul Cobbing.

His team is currently visiting the DCTP sites for clinical exams.

In 2017, a group of fourth-year students were over the moon following their participation in the DCTP in Madadeni, near Newcastle.

At the time, the students; Ms Shanice Basdeo, Ms Zainub Mudhoo and Ms Londiwe Ndlovu, were completing a community block at Madadeni hospital, and belonged to the first class of Physiotherapy students to be involved in the programme.

‘During our community block, we did extensive research to identify health-related problems in the community. In return we tried to use our knowledge and skills to address those issues,’ said Basdeo.

The students’ focus during their five-week block was on promoting Physiotherapy Back Week, identifying and promoting the physiotherapy profession in a rural and community setting as well as performing a community-based rehabilitation project focusing on helping and enabling people living with disabilities to optimise their quality of life.

Words: Nombuso Dlamini