Quang Nam: Organizing screening, functional assessment, nursing care needs and independent living assesment for persons with disabilities

In Quang Nam province, from May 24th to June 9th, 2023, the ACDC Institute collaborated with the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Health, Quang Nam Provincial Association of Persons with Disabilities, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and Health Centers in Thang Binh, Duy Xuyen, Tien Phuoc, and Que Son districts, along with other relevant parties, to conduct screening for persons with disabilities (PWDs). This activity is expected to screen 890 PWDs with severe and extremely severe disabilities in the four project districts.

The objective of the activity is to screen and assess the needs for functional accessment, nursing care needs and independent living assesment for persons with disabilities in order to develop appropriate intervention plans for each PWD. The intervention plans may include functional recovery, assistive devices support (prosthetics and orthotics), home care support, and counseling for independent living and social inclusion.

The screening team consists of healthcare professionals from the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) of the district health centers and the Traditional Medicine Hospital, which play a supervisory and technical support role for the screening activities. The MDT includes rehabilitation doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and nurses. They are supported and supervised by six members of the provincial technical supervision team from the Traditional Medicine Hospital of Quang Nam province. In addition, there are doctors or personnel in charge from commune health stations supporting the logistical aspects of the screening team. This is a collaborative effort to identify suitable candidates for rehabilitation services, nursing care, and independent living. To ensure the best results, the screening team has received prior training on the screening content, how to complete the forms, and the organization of screening session at the commune health station to provide services closest to PWDs. The screening sites are the health stations accessible to PWDs. For PWDs who cannot reach the screening sites due to various reasons, the screening team will visit their homes to conduct the screening.

After more than two weeks of implementation in the four districts, the screening activities have been evaluated as highly effective and meaningful for local persons with disabilities, based on feedback from independent monitoring consultants who supervised the screening sessions in Thang Binh and Que Son districts, as well as the project management contractor, the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), and the sponsor, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The achieved results show that 938 PWDs have been screened and assessed, surpassing the planned target of 890 PWDs. The breakdown by district is as follows: Thang Binh district with 244 PWDs in 12 communes/townships, Tien Phuoc district with 223 PWDs in 12 communes/townships, Que Son district with 262 PWDs in 13 communes/townships, and Duy Xuyen district with 209 PWDs in 10 communes/townships. In most cases, the screening and assessment of needs for this round have been consistent with the project criteria, as agreed upon with each locality.

The Provincal Department of Health and the four district health centers actively participated in directing the screening activities. Furthermore, the support provided by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in the four districts, and the Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims at the provincial and district level in providing the lists of PWDs has been highly appreciated.

Ms. N.T.B, a person with disabilities in Duy Hoa commune, Duy Xuyen district, shared her experience: "I am a person with disabilities due to a mine accident, which caused spinal cord injuries and paralysis in both legs. Currently, I am the chairwoman of the Disabled Women's Club in Duy Xuyen district. In this screening organized by the ACDC Institute, the doctors from the screening team conducted a very thorough and attentive health examination for me. I am truly grateful and appreciate the value that the ACDC Institute and the project bring to persons with disabilities in Quang Nam province in general and to us, disabled individuals in Duy Hoa commune, in particular."

The activity of screening, functional assessment, nursing care needs and independent living assesment for persons with disabilities is part of the Inclusion 1 Project, implemented by ACDC. This project is funded by USAID and managed by the project management contractor, CCIHP, with the National Action Center for Chemical and Environmental Treatment (NACCET), under the Ministry of National Defense, serving as the project owner.