Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) launches speech counseling at Al Rahba Hospital

• Over 300 treatment sessions were completed in three months
• Therapy available for adults and children

Abu Dhabi, UAE - July 28, 2019:   Al Rahba Hospital, part of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, now provides speech counseling services for children and adults at the Speech Clinic under the supervision of Therapists Dima Al Awaysi and Neethu Sabin. The clinic provides speech counseling for patients with Receptive /expressive language disorder, Articulation/phonological disorder, Social skills/pragmatic language, Stuttering/Fluency disorder, Autism, ADHD, Swallowing disorder, Adulthood language disorder and Voice Disorders.

The speech therapist at Al Rahba Hospital has completed over 300 treatment sessions over the past three months.

Dr. Amna al-Mehairi, Acting Allied Health Manager at Al Rahba Hospital said: “Our team of speech therapists are keen to help our patients, both children and adults, suffering from communication, speech or swallowing disorders by improving their abilities and involving them in the community. These disorders are not binary. Patients fall on different levels of the spectrum making it crucial for them to interact with trained specialists that can administer the tailored approach they need. The clinic has seen massive success with patients despite the short amount of time it has been operating, recognizing the importance of this service in our society that focuses on inclusion.” 

Dima Al Awaysi and Neethu Sabin have emphasized the importance of speech therapy in helping increase patients’ independence and improve their quality of life. The clinic begins by assessing patients with difficulty speaking, listening, reading, writing or swallowing followed by the development of a personalized counseling plan. 

One of the cases where speech therapy has made major improvements on quality of life was that of a 40-year-old man that had suffered from a stroke which made him bedridden with Dysphagia. He endured the pain of being fed through a feeding tube for three years. After only three sessions with Neethu Sabin, the patient was able to eat soft foods orally and the feeding tube was removed permanently.

Another successful case was that of a 12-year-old boy who stuttered his whole life, preventing him from communicating with the community. After thirteen sessions of speech therapy, his treatment was complete and resulted with him speaking clearly and fluently, with complete confidence.