Quang Nam: Inauguration of the second transit house in the province

Attending the inauguration ceremony were Ms. Le Thi Thuy Huong, USAID Vietnam representative; Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Director of ACDC Institute; Ms. Doan Thi Hoai Nhi, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Head of the Project Management Board; Mr. Duong Ngoc Vinh, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Health; Mr. Duong Duc Lin, Vice Chairman of Tien Phuoc District People's Committee; Mr. Hua Quoc Dung, Chairman of the Provincial Association of Persons with disabilities; In addition, the event was attended by a large number of representatives of district departments, officials of health centers and persons with disabilities, patients in the district, and press agencies.

This is the second project in the province after the Transit House at Thang Binh District Medical Center and the fifth transit house in the country according to this model. The house was surveyed, conceptualized and designed from 4/2022 and started to construct in 8/2022. The process of surveying, evaluating, selecting and perfecting the transit house model has been carried out through consultations and exchanges with professional specialist agency and independent experts. The highest goal is to ensure that the transit house fully meets the medical requirements and construction technical requirements, helping patients to have maximum and effective access.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Director of ACDC Institute, said: "The transit house has been applied by us first in Thua Thien Hue province since 2019 and has brought positive effects. In Quang Nam, this is the second model of transit house built in the province, after the transit house at Thang Binh District Medical Center inaugurated in June 2020. We hope that the model will effectively support patients and persons with disabilities in rehabilitation. At the same time, this will also be a model for persons with disabilities or their families to refer and study to change the living environment more suitable for persons with disabilities."

At the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Tran Van Dung, Director of Tien Phuoc District Medical Center shared: "In the coming time, the Medical Center will develop a plan to promote rehabilitation, especially community-based rehabilitation; strengthening the prevention of disabilities, early detection, and improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities.  Thereby, helping persons with disabilities to access health and public services, be able to participate in social activities equally, maximize the capacity of persons with disabilities."  

The transit house model has been built and applied in many developed countries around the world. This is a model that gives patients and persons with disabilities the opportunity to practice daily living functions before returning to their families and communities, to reinclude independently. Activities performed in the transit house focus on mastering basic living functions that have previously been rehabilitated such as: movement, self-dressing, eating, cooking, personal hygiene, and other community engagement activities. 

The transfer house includes 5 areas: common movement area, kitchen and dining, toilet, bedroom and area for daily activities such as living room, recreation and training. The building is also equipped with small items for patients to take care of themselves and practice daily activities such as kitchen utensils (tableware, toiletries, fabrics), equipment to support movement (wheelchairs), navigation devices (shower seats).

There have been 5 transit houses nationwide inaugurated and put into use. Hopefully, this model will continue to be replicated in the future with the positive effects that the model brings.

Translator: Hoang Duc