Teen recovers 75% usage of hand after therapy

PETALING JAYA: He loves to play badminton but an accident five years ago robbed him of his chance to have fun with the game.

Just 15 years old then, the schoolboy’s left palm was caught in a sugarcane grinder when he was fiddling with it.

He suffered multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries.

The accident prevented the Ipoh boy from performing daily activities. He could not feed himself properly. He could not even button up his shirt.

To help him recover the use of his left hand, medical staff at Ipoh Hospital decided that he required sub-specialised occupational therapy treatment.

They referred his case to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre’s rehabilitation unit.

For a full year, he travelled all the way from Ipoh every week to receive treatment there. Due to some complications, he had problems performing delicate tasks like picking up a needle from the floor.

With perseverance and committment to the treatment schedule, the patient regained 75% of the use of his hand.