Japan shares rehabilitation expertise with Ukrainian specialists at Hyōgo Prefectural Rehabilitation Center

Four specialists from the Rivne Regional War Veterans Hospital completed a one-month training program at the Hyōgo Prefectural Rehabilitation Centre in Japan, a leading institution with over 300 beds that integrates rehabilitation services with social care.

The training course was part of an educational program organized through a collaboration between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The training program was developed by the Japanese team and tailored to the specific requests and needs of Ukrainian specialists, with a particular focus on the expertise of the Rivne Regional War Veterans Hospital team in treating patients with spinal cord injuries.

The four-week course was devoted to studying the specifics of rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries. Ukrainian specialists learned to use assessment scales to determine the level of injury, approaches to diagnosing and managing bladder and bowel functions, self-transfer techniques for wheelchair users, home adaptations, reintegration into daily activities and work, as well as training patients to drive after major spinal cord injuries.

During the training, the Ukrainian team learned from Japan's experience and shared their expertise, particularly regarding the specifics of rehabilitation under wartime conditions. The open professional dialogue included discussions of clinical cases, outcome prognoses, and the application of rehabilitation methods.

As a reminder, this is the second phase of the cooperation program between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The first group of participants, consisting of specialists from the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, completed their training in March.