ReGen Rehab Offers Free Parkinson’s Rehab for Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans

ReGen Rehab Hospital (“ReGen Rehab”), Malaysia’s first private rehabilitation hospital licensed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, is providing rehabilitation care for veterans of the Malaysian Armed Forces as part of its Corporate Responsibility initiative. In conjunction with the Malaysian Armed Forces Day, ReGen Rehab launched #MyParkinsonsPartner as a tribute of appreciation to veterans living with Parkinson’s Disease, and to be their rehab partner in improving their functional health, well-being and quality of life. The initiative was launched at a ceremony held at ReGen Rehab, which was attended by the Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association (MPDA), the Malaysian Armed Forces Veteran Affairs Department (JHEV) and the Malaysian Armed Forces Chinese Veterans Association (MACVA).

Hanafi Salehuddin, Chief Executive Officer of ReGen Rehab Hospital said, “This initiative is in honour of our Armed Forces veterans who have served Malaysia as frontline heroes in the past years. Given their service and sacrifice, we want to play our part to provide the healthcare they deserve, by reaching out to those with Parkinson’s to help them improve functional independence and bring them back to their best selves. Through specialised, coordinated and tailored rehabilitation interventions, we want to support veterans with Parkinson’s by helping them remain independent for as long as possible, thereby restoring their health and rebuilding their lives.”

ReGen Rehab Hospital is kicking off its Parkinson’s Rehab Corporate Responsibility initiative with a call for participation amongst Malaysian Armed Forces veterans diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease to receive free rehab treatment from ReGen Rehab. The initiative will be in effect for 3 months, from 16 September 2022 until 15 December 2022.

“This initiative by ReGen Rehab is a commendable effort to give back to the Malaysian community, in particular the Armed Forces veterans. On top of raising awareness on Parkinson’s, it also provides a lifeline of hope that those living with Parkinson’s can lead functional and a better quality of life through timely rehabilitation and a supportive care network,” said Sara Lew, President of the Malaysian Parkinson’s Association (MPDA).

Hanafi continued, “As part of our continuous commitment to advance health equity and improve access to quality rehabilitation care across the lifecycle, we are always guided by our mission of ‘Bringing You Back’ – to help patients and persons with any form of debilitating disease to get back the opportunity to a high quality of life. Through ReGen Rehab’s #MyParkinsonsPartner initiative, we desire that not only veterans, but people in general will become more aware of Parkinson’s Disease, and to take the needful steps in understanding and prioritising the physical, emotional and social needs of patients and persons with Parkinson’s.”

“Parkinson’s Disease is one of the most frequent causes of disability especially among older adults, but the reality is that it is still possible to live a healthy and active life. Given the neuro-degenerative nature of the condition, rehabilitation plays an important role to maximise functional ability and minimise secondary complications. As we present this call to participate, it is our hope that this initiative becomes the start of greater action and advocacy towards more comprehensive rehabilitation care for neurological conditions like Parkinson’s,” concluded Hanafi.

Parkinson’s Disease is the most common movement disorder and fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. Currently in Malaysia, a report by Department of Statistics Malaysia 2018 estimated that the number of patients with Parkinson’s Disease will increase from 20,000 to 120,000 by 2040. In fact, many people with Parkinson’s still go undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness, where signs and symptoms are simply perceived as part of the ageing process.

“Every person with Parkinson’s has different severity and manifestation of motor and non-motor symptoms. It is important that Parkinson’s is diagnosed earlier so that people can engage with providers and support groups who have experience with the disease, as well as have the information they need to best manage their condition,” Sara added.

Although Parkinson’s Disease has no cure at the moment, goal-based rehabilitation can assist in slowing down its progression and managing symptoms to improve functioning, promote independence and optimise quality of life. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Parkinson’s rehabilitation programme encompasses conventional therapy treatment coupled with innovative techniques such as robotics-based rehabilitation, designed to improve gait and balance. Robotics rehabilitation allows the person to perform task-oriented exercises, in increasing repetitions and intensity, thereby building neuronal plasticity resulting in skill acquisition.