Department of Medical Rehabilitation

In 1975, there had been founded the Department of Medical and Labour Expertise on the basis of the course, which had been functioning since 1962.

Due to the reorganization of the Department of Medical and Labour Expertise, the department was called the Department of Medical and Social Expertise and Rehabilitation (from 1993 to 2008). From 2008 to 2018, the department was called the Department of Medical Expertise and Rehabilitation.

In 2019, by the decision of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, the Department of Medical Expertise and Rehabilitation was reorganized into the Department of Medical Rehabilitation.

For 25 years (1975-2000), professor L.S.Gitkina, an honored doctor of BSSR, an award winner on the Academy of Sciences of USSR named after V.M.Behterev, had been working as head of the department. She was the first head of the department. L.S. Gitkina created a school of experts in the Republic of Belarus and prepared a lot of highly qualified specialists in the field of medical and social expertise, and afterwards - in rehabilitation.

From 2000 to 2005, the department was headed by professor V.B. Smychek, who also worked as a director of the Scientific and Research Institute for Medical and Social Expertise and Rehabilitation. V.B.Smychek had been working at the department since 1998, his academic titles were changed from associate professor to professor. At present, he continues his academic activities, also he works as a director at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Medical Expertise and Rehabilitation.

Since November, 2005, G.A.Emelyanov, Candidate of Medical Sciences, associate professor, has been in charge of the department.

The main activities of the department:

• improvement of the professional level of physicians in medical expertise and rehabilitation;
• improvement of the academic process; carrying out of scientific researches on the most priority areas of medical science;
• consultation and methodological assistance to healthcare establishments.

The Department of Medical Expertise and Rehabilitation carries out postgraduate training of specialists on a high level, thus covering the requirements of practical healthcare in the advanced training in the field of medical rehabilitation.

The department offers a retraining course on rehabilitation.

Annually, advanced training and retraining courses are undergone by more than 200 specialists, including foreign ones. The department also offers clinical residency and PhD courses for physicians (extramural and intramural forms of training).

The main topics of the courses: general principles of organization and conduction of rehabilitation, basics of rehabilitation, modern rehabilitation technologies. A great attention is given to the study of medical rehabilitation of patients with the main disabling pathology at neurological, cardiological, rheumatological, nephrological, pulmonological, gastroenterological, oncological, hematological and traumatological diseases. Annually, the department offers an advanced training course on medical expertise and rehabilitation for pediatricians.

The department offers advanced training and retraining courses for a wide range of physicians: physicians working at ambulatory and in-patient healthcare establishments, heads of divisions, presidents of medical consultative boards, medical rehabilitation expert commissions, heads of healthcare establishments and their deputies.

The training covers theoretical and practical aspects with the consideration of the achievements in medical science, new statutory documents, modern requirements for the training of medical staff, needs of practical healthcare.  The lecture material, practical sessions on actual issues of medical rehabilitation are constantly being updated.

The forms of training at the department: lectures, seminars, practical sessions on rehabilitation diagnostics, estimation of disorders in organs and systems, physical dysfunctions, appeared after diseases and traumas, evaluation of rehabilitation potential, clinical and labor prognosis, making of individual programs of medical rehabilitation. The department also offers visiting classes to Minsk healthcare organizations aiming at the improvement of professional training of physicians.

Other forms of training are writing of abstracts on actual problems of medical rehabilitation, participation in joint conferences. Test control is widely applied during the training process.

All scientific researches aim at the development and improvement of organizational basics of medical rehabilitation, development and implementation of high-tech rehabilitation methods and ways to restore locomotor functions, capacities for self-service which contribute to social integration of patients into society and improvement of their quality of life. A special attention is given to the development and implementation of the method of medical rehabilitation of patients with dominant hand disorders and diseases and traumas of the brain.

Apart from the academic and research activities, specialists of the department consult patients at the Republican Clinical Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation, participate in consiliums at other healthcare organizations.