The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), a Federal Government Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education, officially formed the first class of specialists in Brazil in comprehensive health care for people with disabilities, a moment defined by the physician and general director of the Institute, Reginaldo Freitas Júnior, as “the realization of a collective dream” that should be synonymous with gratitude to the Unified Health System (SUS) and to the users – children, teenagers, adults and seniors – “without whom the Residence would not be possible”.
“We must recognize the importance of the SUS and thank the users who formed you”, he said, visibly moved, at the graduation ceremony held at the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (Anita), of the Instituto. “You learned from the feelings, from the bodies and pain of these people, the people who made you experts. And I don't know if everyone is aware of this, but our country is forming the first multidisciplinary residency group in comprehensive health care for people with disabilities. This is happening here in Brazil, in Rio Grande do Norte, here in Macaíba and we have the grace of this happening at ISD”, highlighted Freitas Júnior.
Approved in 2017 by the Ministry of Education and considered a pioneer in the country, the Multiprofessional Residency in Health Care for Persons with Disabilities specialized seven professionals from the areas of physiotherapy, speech therapy, psychology and social work, who had Anita/ISD as their main internship field in two years of activities. Two other groups are still active in the course and a new selection notice is scheduled for December.
“New Paths to Diversity”
In a tribute speech to her classmates – all trainees were women – psychologist and now specialist Thatiane Rodrigues Praxedes said that April 9, 2018, the first of the Residency, was also “the first step in building new paths for diversity” not only for them, as residents, but for everyone who was part of the process.
The students paid homage to professionals in functions ranging from the concierge and Anita's pantry, to scheduling exams at the reception, coordination and management, in addition to freshmen, other professionals who work in the clinics and preceptors, that is, those who perform the role of teachers and advisors in the course. Thatiane said that “experiencing the residency was a unique opportunity to explore human diversity and the multiple perspectives of different professional areas, to understand the complexity of each individual and their uniqueness”.
“It was two years of immersion in this journey full of charms and challenges and this meeting (the ceremony) celebrates the great step we took in a path of welcoming the diversity of human beings”.
The families who served throughout the Residency were also honored at the graduation and represented, on the occasion, by housewife Soraia Maria de Jesus and her son, Pedro Lucas, aged 3, who also have 3 of Anita's patients.
“I never imagined arriving at a place like this and seeing my son evolving”, said the mother and continued, in a speech: “Today we are fulfilled. We have excellent professionals, who care with love, who welcomed us, as mothers, and welcomed our children”.
Lilian Lisboa, Anita’s manager and chosen paraninfa – the group’s godmother – called the former students “now sowers”, and made a request: “Never forget that in any land your seed is impregnated with meaning, affection and respect for diversity ”.
“We”, said Lilian, need to form multipliers, so that everything that was learned here is planted in every corner where you go”.
The graduation ceremony was presented by the analyst from the ISD Academic Secretariat, Camila Campos, and resident speech therapist Nancy Sotero, student of the Program's second group.
Also participating in the event were the administrative director of ISD, Jovan Gadioli dos Santos, the coordinator of the Multiprofessional Residency Program in Health Care for Persons with Disabilities, Lorenna Santiago, the coordinator of teaching activities at Anita, Samantha Maranhão, the program coordinator master's degree Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, ISD, Fabricio Brazil, O deputy secretary of the Health Secretariat of Macaíba, Webert Benigno, and Laura Cristina de Carvalho Zaglout, representative of the Support Center for Family Health (NASF). Students and professionals from different areas of the Institute followed the ceremony in person and by videoconference.
Professionals studied the physical, psychological and social dimensions of health care for people with disabilities
The first seven specialists trained at the ISD Residence were encouraged, over the course of two years, to understand the physical, psychological and social dimensions of health care for people with disabilities.
Aspects surrounding Parkinson's disease, issues related to child rehabilitation, the reality of girls with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and language profile in a quilombola community are some of the subjects addressed in the Residency Completion Works (TCRs).
See the TCR summaries and other graduation images in the gallery below:
The Program coordinator, Lorenna Santiago, believes that the formation of the pioneer group means the possibility of more seeds of social transformation being planted.
“When we think about the training of our residents, we consider that in addition to learning technical skills, they need to develop relational skills, such as empathy and assertive communication skills, and be able to look at the user in an expanded way to the aforementioned dimensions. These new professionals have the potential to sensitize others to the needs of people with disabilities and collaborate for social transformation through care”, he said.
Residents have as their main field of action the Center Specialized in Rehabilitation III of the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, which serves the entire Metropolitan Region of Natal/RN. It is the first CER in the Northeast with operations integrated into a research and innovation system, through joint work with the International Institute of Neurosciences Edmond and Lily Safra, also from ISD.
Anita's CER-III is a reference in SUS and serves people with Refractory Epilepsy; Parkinson's; Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Spinal Cord Injury; Microcephaly; Hearing deficiency; Prematurity and Neurogenic Bladder. Assistance is linked to teaching, research and extension, with the training of health professionals focused on comprehensive and humanized care for the population, in a family-centered model - actively participating in the patient care process - and in education projects in that bring information to society as a stimulus to the inclusion of all.
“A Residency was idealized because we saw the need to provide interactive training that would put students to work together and encourage them to see a patient in their entirety. That put people specialized in caring for people with disabilities on the market, a public that is significant in the state (Rio Grande do Norte) and there was this gap”, says Lilian Lisboa, manager of Anita.
According to the last Census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2010), at least 45.6 million people in Brazil, or 23.9% of the population, declared having at least one disability (visual, auditory, motor and mental) by the year 2010. Among the states, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba had the highest ratio: 27.8% each.
“It is a vast population that needs to be served and that needs to be understood in different dimensions, which is why the training of trained professionals in the area is a milestone. Today we are putting these people on the market”, says Lilian.
After the graduation of the first group, two others are still in training at the Institute, in addition, the forecast is to strengthen the Residency Program with the entry of new courses such as Nursing, Pharmacy and Occupational Therapy, already authorized by the Ministry of Education - which will be included in future notices according to the appearance of grants for these vacancies.
Maria Aneilma Ribeiro, physiotherapist and specialist trained in the Residency, summarized, at the ceremony, the mission that she and her classmates carry “to promote equality, equity and inclusion wherever they go”. Among many thanks, he included Soraya and “Pedrinho”, who participated in the ceremony. “Thank you so much for representing people with disabilities, who allowed us to grow in knowledge and humanity through you.”
See the graduation photo gallery below:
Text: Renata Moura – Journalist – and Kamila Tuenia – Journalism Student / Ascom – ISD
Photos: Renata Moura/ Ascom – ISD
Communication Office
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Santos Dumont Institute (ISD)
It is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences and the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
