With the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Da Nang Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital officially opened its new rehabilitation ward for children under 6 on Tuesday. 

The new ward aims to provide convenient rehabilitative care for newborn babies and children under 6 who suffer from physical abnormalities .  It features a physiotherapy and treatment room to provide physical therapy for young children which will help enhance their bodies’ movements as well as their language.  Top priority will be given to reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics for children as much as possible. 

Dr Ha Thi Kim Yen (left) and the USAID mission director Joakim Parker at the hospital

During the initial period of operation of the ward, a rehabilitation specialist from the Children's Hospital No 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr Ha Thi Kim Yen, will help to improve the skills of the ward’s health workers, as well as directly provide treatment for patients.

The Deputy Director of the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital, Dr Le Thi Thanh Xuan, said that in the past, local parents had to take their children to major hospitals in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City for rehabilitation because there was no specialised ward in Da Nang.  This was unsafe for newborn babies to travel such a long distance, and also some families were unable to afford for the transportation costs.  As a result, a number of children were unable to receive suitable rehabilitation.  The newly-opened ward will help them to receive timely intervention measures for rehabilitative care.

On average, 1 out of every 100 children who are hospitalised is suffering from cerebral palsy.  In recent years, the city has also witnessed an increasing number of children with autism and language problems. 

Last year, the hospital received 167,586 patients, of whom 65,818 were inpatients.  The number of patients from other localities outside Da Nang accounted for 30% of the hospital’s total.

The operation of the new ward will bring benefits to children in the city and its neighbouring localities.  Children with health insurance cards will enjoy free medical check-ups and treatment at the hospital.