Chester physio helps to change bed rest culture in Ethiopia
When senior physiotherapist Nicola Jarman of Chester travelled to Ethiopia earlier this year she had no idea how challenging, yet inspiring and heart-warming it would be.
Having been picked as one of two physios to represent the North West Orthopaedic Trauma Alliance for Africa (NOTAA) she arrived in Hawassa, via Istanbul and Addis Ababa, filled with enthusiasm and excitement.
Nicola joined forces with Laura Knowles from St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust and Rebekah Laurenson from Perth, Australia, as a specialist team within a nine-strong specialist orthopaedic team sent to Hawassa Hospital to share best practice and ideas.
Nicola, who has worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital for four years, said: “At first nobody working at the hospital really knew what the role of a physiotherapist should be. They would tell patients to stay in bed and just rest after surgery because they hadn’t been taught when it was best to get people moving again.”
Stepping into an environment where no one knew or shared the value of their speciality was tough at first as the team saw just how much of a difference could be made to patients.
Weaving around the busy streets of Hawassa by Tuk Tuk, surrounded by tall buildings being constructed with precarious wooden scaffolding, also made clear how important a well-rounded view towards orthopaedic care could be in an environment that is very different to the UK.
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