A car accident last winter left Petros Manengela afraid that he might never walk again.
But the 40-year-old said a neurologist referred him to Life Rehabilitation at St Dominic’s Hospital in Southernwood 10 days after his accident on July 27 last year, and his life took a turn for the better.
“After my accident I never thought I could do anything.
“I was bed-ridden, other people were doing things for me, I never thought I’d ever walk again. I thought my life was over,” said the husband and father of three.
We caught up with Manengela this week, before his first aqua therapy session at the newly built physiotherapy pool at the facility.
Having been discharged, he has been back in hospital undergoing further therapy. “Their level of care is extremely high. I’ve been here for a week and already I’ve noted improvement in my balance.
“This is my first aqua therapy session. Before I was in severe pain.
“But they’ve now checked my strength, endurance and balance and okayed me for this session.
“I wish to gain confidence to walk without my crutches. This can happen because in the water I can do this,” said an optimistic Manengela.
The Saturday Dispatch observed a few minutes of his therapy with physiotherapist Carina Beukes.
Manengela walked into the pool area on crutches and was moved into the water by means of a chair.
Once in the water, he was able to walk and partake in other exercises.
The facility recently won an award at the inaugural Life Achiever Awards of the national Life Healthcare Group, for the rehabilitation team of the year.
The rehabilitation unit has been functioning for nine years and is the only Life rehabilitation centre in the Eastern Cape.
It was expanded in January to include the on-site, indoor physiotherapy pool so that patients no longer have to travel elsewhere for their aqua therapy.
Hospital manager Laro Fourie said the pool became functional at the end of January and had cost the institution R3.2-million.
He said though it had not cost the patient extra in monetary terms to get the service elsewhere, the time and inconvenience of putting patients in ambulances were factors they considered.
“We do encourage patients to do aqua therapy. It speeds up the recovery rates and we get better outcomes,” said registered nurse and unit manager Desiree Cox.
“Patients really enjoy it, it’s easier to move in water,” she said.
About 60% of their patients were utilising the service already, she said.
It is in use every day, save for the recent water outages in the city which had set them back three days. — vuyiswav@dispatch.co.za
Pool brings hope he’ll walk again
But the 40-year-old said a neurologist referred him to Life Rehabilitation at St Dominic’s Hospital in Southernwood 10 days after his accident on July 27 last year, and his life took a turn for the better.
“After my accident I never thought I could do anything.
“I was bed-ridden, other people were doing things for me, I never thought I’d ever walk again. I thought my life was over,” said the husband and father of three.
We caught up with Manengela this week, before his first aqua therapy session at the newly built physiotherapy pool at the facility.
Having been discharged, he has been back in hospital undergoing further therapy. “Their level of care is extremely high. I’ve been here for a week and already I’ve noted improvement in my balance.
“This is my first aqua therapy session. Before I was in severe pain.
“But they’ve now checked my strength, endurance and balance and okayed me for this session.
“I wish to gain confidence to walk without my crutches. This can happen because in the water I can do this,” said an optimistic Manengela.
The Saturday Dispatch observed a few minutes of his therapy with physiotherapist Carina Beukes.
Manengela walked into the pool area on crutches and was moved into the water by means of a chair.
Once in the water, he was able to walk and partake in other exercises.
The facility recently won an award at the inaugural Life Achiever Awards of the national Life Healthcare Group, for the rehabilitation team of the year.
The rehabilitation unit has been functioning for nine years and is the only Life rehabilitation centre in the Eastern Cape.
It was expanded in January to include the on-site, indoor physiotherapy pool so that patients no longer have to travel elsewhere for their aqua therapy.
Hospital manager Laro Fourie said the pool became functional at the end of January and had cost the institution R3.2-million.
He said though it had not cost the patient extra in monetary terms to get the service elsewhere, the time and inconvenience of putting patients in ambulances were factors they considered.
“We do encourage patients to do aqua therapy. It speeds up the recovery rates and we get better outcomes,” said registered nurse and unit manager Desiree Cox.
“Patients really enjoy it, it’s easier to move in water,” she said.
About 60% of their patients were utilising the service already, she said.
It is in use every day, save for the recent water outages in the city which had set them back three days. — vuyiswav@dispatch.co.za
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