Occupational Therapy Education in BiH: Helping Persons with Disabilities Lead a Better Quality of Life

The Austrian organization HOPE'87 organized the first two-day module of continuous occupational therapy education for rehabilitation teams from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the congress center of the Hotel Terme in Sarajevo.

The project, titled "Capacity Building of CBR and CMZ Centers in BiH," financed by the province of Upper Austria, aims to increase the efficiency of the health system in BiH in the field of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, the organization announced, reports the Patria News Agency.

The first module, titled "Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy for Stroke Patients with Disabilities," was opened by Prof. Dr. Mirsad Muftić from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo. More than 30 health professionals from community-based rehabilitation centers (CBR) from FBiH and RS attended this module.

-The development of occupational therapy in Bosnia and Herzegovina within rehabilitation centers will contribute to better and more successful rehabilitation and the development of the importance of the rehabilitation team, as well as the improvement of the quality of life for persons with disabilities as end-users of services, said Prof. Dr. Mirsad Muftić.

He added, among other things, that "it is our obligation to strengthen occupational therapy and rehabilitation through continuous education, both through the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and through the development of new rehabilitation techniques in accordance with internationally adopted standards.".

Occupational therapy is an independent health profession worldwide, aiming to help persons with disabilities lead useful, satisfying lives with maximum independence and quality of life.

Continuous education through the HOPE'87 project will enhance the theoretical and practical knowledge of occupational therapy for members of rehabilitation teams from CBR and CMZ centers, thereby making a significant contribution to the development of this important medical discipline in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well.

The next module of continuous education will be held on July 12 and 13 for rehabilitation teams from mental health centers in BiH.

Institutional support for the project was provided by the Ministry of Health of FBiH and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republika Srpska. HOPE '87 has been implementing projects to assist vulnerable populations in BiH since 1993, particularly in the health sector. For more information, you can contact by phone: 033 445 181 or via e-mail: [email protected].