Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 27

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE The CRP has another site in Dhaka with 30 stroke beds and 11 paediatric beds which, along with more than 100 outpatients a day, are all served by occupational therapy, and there are 12 smaller CRP sites around the country. The occupational therapists serve all these departments, but there are some areas in which they would particularly appreciate more supported clinical practice. The two main areas they would like to develop are orthopaedics and cognition and perception; 60 to 70 per cent of patients at the main site have orthopaedic conditions. Remembering that many of the therapists have 10 years’ experience they can rely on well-developed core skills, but they would welcome expatriate therapists who could share specialist skills in orthopaedic practice and cognition and perception, especially if they could also advise on service development. They would also welcome experienced specialists in other fields. If you are interested in volunteering please contact either of the authors*. Or if you know of someone who might be interested please let them know. A stay of at least two to three months would be preferable. Most of the Bangladesh occupational therapists work for the CRP, but a few are moving to other non-government organisations, including with the Rohinga refugees. They are keen for the government to take up the profession by employing practitioners and establishing education programmes. In fact, in recent years the national psychiatric hospital has given rooms for a fledgling service employing a Bangladeshi therapist who has been helped with specialist skill-sharing from a UK volunteer; he is salaried by an international non-government organisation. The national neurological hospital has recently created government salaried posts for three occupational therapists. The government is ready to embrace the profession. In 2018, Parliament passed a Bangladesh Rehabilitation Council Bill, which will regulate the rehabilitation professions and demonstrates their appreciation of, and commitment to, these professions. This is an exciting time for the profession in Bangladesh, there are a number of mature, experienced therapists with commitment and vision and opportunities are opening up for them to reach more citizens. Md. Julker Nayan, head occupational therapist, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, email: [email protected], and Mary Ann Waddell, OT Frontiers chairperson, email: [email protected]. *The authors strongly advise anyone considering international volunteering to monitor the information about their intended destination country/ies on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website and be aware that FCO advice can change at short notice. Visit: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice Poverty facts and stats Bangladesh is rated 136th out of the 189 countries in the Human Development Index, which is a combined measure of health, educational status and wellbeing of individuals in a country; 14.8 per cent of the population are living below the international poverty line. United Nations Development Programme 2018 Human development indices and indicators: 2018 statistical update. Briefing note for countries on the 2018 statistical update. Bangladesh. Available online at: http://hdr.undp.org/ sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/BGD.pdf [accessed 9 March 2019] United Nations Development Programme 2019. Population living below income poverty line, PPP $1.90 a day (%). Available online at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/indicators/167106 [accessed 12 March 2019] OTnews July 2019 27