A place to go to restore physical ability and self dignity

 At Perkeso’s Tun Razak Rehabilitation Centre in Melaka, dedicated staff and world-class facilities help stroke patients find a new lease of life.

Kamal Ishak (in wheelchair) said the Tun Razak Rehabilitation Centre has given him a new lease of life. With him for his final treatment was his wife Zuhaina Ahmad Zubel (right).

MELAKA:

For most people, Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) rehabilitation facilities are just treatment centres for construction workers or factory employees suffering workplace injuries.

But at Perkeso’s Tun Razak Rehabilitation Centre in Melaka, this assumption is, quite literally, turned upside down.

Here, white-collar workers sit side-by-side with their blue-collar counterparts, getting treatment for stroke and neurological problems rather than workplace mishaps.

On the day of FMT’s visit, videographer Kamal Ishak, 56, was just getting his last treatment for a stroke from last year.

And in his regular visits, he has seen them all. “Lawyers, businessmen, engineers … even doctors. There are all kinds of people here,” he told FMT.

For Kamal, and fellow patient Yuzaimie Mazelan, the centre is where they have been given a new lease of life.

For Yuzaimie, a sales and marketing executive, having to undergo rehabilitation for a slipped disc at 27 came as quite a shock.

“I woke up one morning to find that I was unable to move my legs,” he told FMT. The following day, he had trouble emptying his bladder.

“I went straight to the emergency department,” he said.

Both Kamal and Yuzaimie learned from their respective doctors that treatment for their condition was available at Perkeso, so long as they had been contributing to the social security fund.

Therapy and beyond

At the centre, both men were put through a combination of physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, robotic rehabilitation and neuromodulation — a nerve stimulation approach designed to help restore function in patients with mobility issues.

For Yuzaimie, hydrotherapy played a crucial role in helping him regain movement. “Anything you cannot do on land, you can do in the water,” he said.

He added that the encouragement and support from the centre’s therapists helped him stay motivated throughout his recovery.

“That is where I got my strength from,” he said.

Physiotherapist Hanissa Mazalan said the centre’s rehabilitation programme is designed not only to improve physical abilities but also to help patients regain independence in their daily routines.

“Before treatment, patients need help from a carer, be they the spouse or a child, to do almost anything. After treatment here, their dependence on others is reduced,” she said.

Hanissa said treatment plans are customised for each patient’s needs, with exercises focused on movements that are practical for home and the workplace.

“For example, they may be comfortable driving but have difficulty getting into the car. We teach them how to enter a vehicle properly,” she said.

For Yuzaimie, the training has helped him return to everyday activities he once took for granted.

“Here, they teach me how to do the things I had always been doing. For instance, I need to climb the stairs to get to my office. They train me on how to do that,” he said.

Kamal said the treatment has helped him regain confidence and less dependent on others.

“I can do things on my own now. They taught me the right way, so I do not feel like a burden,” he added.

Helping family become caregivers

At the Tun Razak Rehabilitation Centre, rehabilitation is a family affair.

Kamal’s wife, Zuhaina Ahmad Zubel, has sat through his treatment from the start. “We are taught how to properly assist our loved ones manage their daily routines,” she said.

Such routines include going to the bathroom and even basic functions such as sitting down and getting up from the chair, and how to avoid a fall. “They take us through this step-by-step,” Zuhaina added.

Restoring confidence and dignity

Hanissa said that beyond the physical challenges, many patients also develop emotional distress resulting from these life-changing conditions.

She said some struggle with low self-esteem and a loss of confidence.

“We are not only restoring their physical function. We are restoring their spirit,” she said.

For Yuzaimie, breaking the mental barrier was more difficult than working on his physical recovery.

But, he said, the physiotherapists helped him develop a more positive mindset, which, he believes, eased his way to recovery.

For Kamal, being surrounded by others undergoing similar experiences helped him feel less isolated.

He said the supportive environment at the rehabilitation centre gave him a sense of comfort and connection that he might not have had at home.

“The centre has really helped us. We do not feel diminished by going through rehabilitation. We feel proud. We feel dignified,” he added. - FMT