Rehabilitation is an essential part of universal health coverage – along with the promotion of good health, the prevention of disease, treatment, and palliative care. Globally, an estimated 2.4 billion people are currently living with a health condition that could benefit from rehabilitation. At the same time, current needs for rehabilitation remain largely unmet.
Denys Shlykov, a physical therapist from Kyiv, tells how he came to the profession. “I entered the rehabilitation field 11 years ago, pretty much by accident. I was looking for a job after graduation and found one at the Ukrainian Paralympic Centre. I could never have guessed that it would become my life’s work.”
“It was the mentorship of my teachers, along with the motivation of the Paralympic athletes themselves, that spurred me to continue down the path to becoming a physical therapist,” Shlykov adds.
No magic pill
Today, Shlykov specializes in neurological traumas and disorders. He says that one of the most difficult and yet interesting aspects of his work is that every patient is unique. “This means I am continually having to apply new approaches to overcome new challenges,” Shlykov says. “It gives me the drive to keep developing my skills and upgrading my knowledge.”
“That’s why some people turn to alternative, yet often unproven methods – ones that promise fast results,” Shlykov says. “But in fact, that’s often just a waste of time and money.”
Rehabilitation and the pandemic
“The pandemic changed my work completely,” Shlykov says. “I had to be really serious about safety measures because I am always in close contact with patients. Some of my colleagues and I started practicing telemedicine and a lot of patients were very happy with that. Still, now that I am vaccinated, I can get back to my normal routine and meet patients face-to-face.” Shlykov hopes that Ukrainian physical therapists will soon be able to assist patients in most COVID-19 hospitals.
“It is a widespread practice in many countries and we need it here in Ukraine, too,” he says. “I work with people who have survived COVID-19, but it would have been easier for them to rehabilitate if they had therapists already there in their hospital, while they were receiving treatment.”
The year 2021 has been designated by WHO as the International Year of Health and Care Workers in appreciation of and gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
This story has been developed by the WHO Country Office in Ukraine, with financial assistance from the European Union (EU) within the EU and WHO initiative on health system development in Ukraine, and is part of a series of stories showcasing Ukrainian health care workers.