New health facility opens its door

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Parent Category: Sept 2011

Category: Week ending Sept 17th, 2011

Published on Tuesday, 20 September 2011 08:30

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Grenadians suffering from muscular pains now have a place to go to get physical therapy. Island Health Therapy located on Grenville Street in the Town of St George officially opened its doors to the public last week Friday.  

The company, managed by Giselle M. Antoine, P.T. offers the public the newest and most modern physiotherapy services. Antoine, a graduate of Kingsborough Community College in New York, is a Phi Theta Kappa International honour society member and also a past student of the St. Joseph’s Convent, St. George’s.

Speaking during the official opening of the Centre, Antoine said that having completed her studies in the United States, she choose to return to Grenada to provide the much needed service to her country.

“To say that there is a demand for physiotherapists and their services in Grenada is indeed an understatement. Just about every person I meet, on a daily basis seems to have some form of musculoskeletal ailment or they know of someone afflicted with such conditions,” she remarked.

According to Antoine, she intends to work closely with the Ministries of Health and Social Development in an effort to contribute to the development of the health care system and warned that one should never overlook the value of incorporating a physiotherapy regime in the recovery process.

“Research has found that regionally and internationally, the practice of physical therapy is the greatest sought after mode of recovery, resulting in an exceptionally high recovery rate for the persons who opt to utilise this process over more conventional and invasive methods,” she said.

Antoine disclosed that the delivery of therapeutic services from her business will be three-fold, the incorporation of appropriate and adequate pain management protocols to ensure significant reduction of pain making it more comfortable to be part of therapeutic exercises, deployment of treatment protocols designed to address the specific need/s of each individual; and education of patient and caregivers (if applicable) on the nature of the diagnosis while providing moral and psychological support geared to assisting them to cope and adjust.

The Centre will accommodate not only referrals from physicians but also walk-in patients seeking consultations.

The medical expert announced that the scope of work to be provided extends beyond general physiotherapy needs as she has established a post-stroke rehabilitation programme designed to assist stroke victims with their transition and rehabilitation from post-stroke day 02 until complete recovery based on the prognosis.

In addition, the centre will cater for persons with congenital disorders, sports related injuries such as broken bones/fractures, sprains, ligament tears, tendonitis/bursitis, as well as persons who suffer with chronic pain as a result of prolonged arthritis.

A wide range of packages will be made available for different groups and organisations including a 5% discount for all union members.

Director of Private Sector Development in the Ministry of Finance, Christopher De Riggs congratulated the young entrepreneur on her accomplishment and reminded the attendees of the importance of small business development. He noted that small businesses account for a vast majority of the employment in the country and this new service provided to the country bring more value to the health care sector.

Five persons are expected to be employed with the centre within the next few months. The ceremony was chaired by Antoine’s uncle, Oswald “Pele” Darbeau, who is better known in local circles as a sporting and cultural enthusiast.

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