Physical therapy and neuro-orthopedic rehabilitation
Director: Dr. Kariné Chahbazian
As a direct consequence of the war in Artsakh, there is an urgent need to care for wounded soldiers and civilians requiring physical therapy and neuro-orthopedic rehabilitation. Facilities for providing such care are rare in Armenia and are concentrated in Yerevan, the capital. In Goris, a city at the heart of the war due to its location on the border of Artsakh, no such facilities existed.
Much like the needs of war victims, chronic neurological and orthopedic pathologies (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain and spinal cord tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, spinal pathologies) are rarely treated in Armenia. This is due to a lack of suitable facilities in the regions.
In November 2021, in order to treat chronic neurological and orthopedic pathologies in the Syunik region, Santé Arménie set up an outpatient physical therapy and neuro-orthopedic rehabilitation facility in Goris for patients age 16 and over.
The rehabilitation team at this hospital is employed by Santé Arménie and is composed of the following professionals:
- One coordinating physician
- Three physical therapists
- One speech therapist
- One psychologist
The entire staff is supervised by French volunteers working in Dr. Karine Chahbazian's Neurology-Neurosurgery Follow-up and Rehabilitation Care Department at the Bicêtre University Hospital, located on the outskirts of Paris.
Modeled after the outpatient adult physical therapy and neuro-orthopedic rehabilitation facility established by Santé Arménie in the city of Goris, a similar hospital for children is due to open in Goris in 2024.
This center will accommodate children ages 4 to 16, offering them care similar to that provided by the hospital for adults.
