Since 2018, staff from Yushu Prefecture Ba-yi Hospital have participated in our project “Strengthening a Rehabilitation Service System for Persons with Rehabilitation Needs in Yushu Prefecture” training programmes in Qinghai province. The participants include Suo Nam Rong Zhen, Director of the Rehabilitation Department, Zha La, the Head Nurse, and Suo Nan Zhe Ma, Ren Zheng, and Cai Ren Zhuo Ga, the therapists of the department.

After receiving our training, they saw an increase from 3 to 8 on average in the number of patients they received on a daily basis. Their patients are mainly people suffering from arthritis. They used to adopt traditional Tibetan medical practices for their patients, such as acupuncture and steam therapy. But after the training, they are now able to apply training, such as muscle training and joint mobilisation, to their patients. They also improved their ability to apply a systematic assessment method to their work.

The patient that left an impression on them so far so far is a lady living in pastoral area who has suffered from arthritis for 30 years. She could not walk properly and was confined to a wheelchair when she attended medical appointments. She spent most of her time at home, lying on bed because of the pain caused by arthritis. Two years after receiving proper rehabilitation training, she can walk for 100m with a walking aid and can stand for 3 minutes without additional assistance. It is visible that religion has had a profound impact in the Qinghai province and the Tibetan-populated areas, where people there may opt for religion over science. This explained why patients may refuse to receive rehab treatment. These successful cases are the most effective publicity tools for departments that provide rehabilitation services.