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Resource persons and health attendants pose for the lens during the continuing medical education at the School of Nursing at the district hospital, in Dimapur on Aug. 5. (EM Images)[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Aug. 5: The Indian Association of Physiotherapists Women’s Cell (IAPWC), Nagaland branch led by Dr. Tiatula Longkumer (MPT) Neurology, state head of IAPWC organised a Continuing Medical Education (CME) on ergonomic problems, its treatments and preventions at the School of Nursing of the District Hospital in Dimapur.
Ergonomic is “relating to or designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment.”
Resource persons for the programme, Dr. T Asangla Ao (MPT) and Dr. Wangshila Jamir (MPT) spoke on how one must adjust to the workplace according to the individual.
The resource person also spoke about the importance of ergonomics in nursing workstations, and how to prevent musculoskeletal injuries at working place, proper techniques to lift and transfer patients and prevention aspect of it.
“There is always a mismatch between the work capacity and physical capacity of the worker which will cause the individual to experience excessive strain and stress,” Dr. Wangshila said, adding that many work related muscular and skeletal disorders will be faced by the individual if not treated on time.
The IAP women cell (IAPWC) was formed with the aim of connecting female physiotherapists all over India, and to empower the female physiotherapists. IAPWC created a job portal at IAP website for job seekers and also IAPWC will provide legal support to all the female physiotherapists all over India, it was informed.
The prevention and treatments were made known by Dr. T Asangla Ao to the attendees at the seminar. She elaborated on how one’s posture for both sitting and standing and also lifting of objects by patients can really hinder ones health.
The main focus were the nurses of District Hospital, Dimapur popularly also knows as Civil Hospital. The two doctors gave a lesson on the exercises, stretches and positioning of the body for the patients.
Dr. Ao specified that the goal was to provide a few tactics to help improve the environment of one’s workplace while Dr. T Asangla explained about various techniques that not only a patient can do but also the nurses.
“Stretching is a vital part of a healthy fitness regimen.
Pre-shift stretching and warm-up exercises reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries by reducing fatigue, improving muscular balance and posture, and improving muscle coordination,” she elaborated.
The expert also encouraged the nurses that proper lifting techniques should be a key training objective in the education program.
“With all this we can work efficiently and work productively and in turn prevent work injuries” she said.
It was also informed that one way to redesign unsafe and unhealthy jobs was to restructure a job at a new skill level or new level of mechanization.
“This may involve job simplification (reduction of complexity of the job) or job enlargement (broader use of skills or a greater variety of tasks); the aid of an ergonomist or an industrial engineer often will be necessary,” Dr. Wangshila Jamir maintained.
State head also emphasised that all physiotherapists can Practise independently in any hospital setups provided that the Physiotherapists are registered under Indian Association of Physiotherapists.
The IAP, Women’s Cell is informed to be concentrating on ergonomic issues, directing greater efforts in developing ergonomic guidelines and standards.
The seminar was attended by nursing students, tutors, physiotherapists and the general public. Through this CME, the IAPWC aims to promote proper ergonomics and awareness of physiotherapy.
