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New dysphagia clinic to be set up in one to two years |
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Posted On: 26-2-2009 |
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SINGAPORE: In Singapore where food is an obsession, not being able to eat or drink because one can't swallow can be torture.
And with the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) expecting the number of such patients to rise, in tandem with the ageing population, it wants to set up a clinic to treat the ailment and address service gaps.
A stroke, cancer or road traffic accident can impair the muscles and nerves that control swallowing. Growing old could also weaken them and reduce coordination.
If left untreated, this not only robs patients of their ability to eat and drink, it can result in more serious problems like dehydration and even lung infection.
A poll of 46 speech therapists, medical social workers and managers of voluntary welfare organisations last year found that of the cases involving seniors, 75 per cent who need the help of a speech therapist do so to treat swallowing problems.
Speech therapist Kunal Ghosh, who is assistant director of SPD’s Clinical Rehab Services Division, said the rehabilitation period depends on the nature and the severity of the condition.
"Some patients may recover within a month. Some may take longer.
"It also depends on a lot of other factors — family support, whether the treatment is carried out at home and so on."
Patients in VWO-run nursing homes, for instance, often have to be referred either to acute care hospitals or private speech therapists for treatment. Survey respondents said the referral rates are low for various reasons — expense being one of them.
The new dysphagia clinic should be set up in the next one to two years.
Mr Ghosh is seeking funds to build the clinic at either Tampines or Tiong Bahru where the SPD currently runs two centres.
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