– gives emphasis to improve quality of life for disabled personsWith an overall strategic goal to reduce preventable disabilities and to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) yesterday launched the 2009-2013 National Strategic Rehabilitation Services Strategy.In presenting a summary of the plan, Director of Rehabilitation Services,[url=http://www.nfljerseyscheaponline.us@#$%&/]China Jerseys Online[/url], Ms Barbara Lawrence, underscored that the document is very important to the Ministry of Health as it will serve as a roadmap to the delivery of rehabilitation services over the next five years.The document, she disclosed, also represents the culmination of a collective effort on the part of dedicated staffers across the country and the valuable partners, stakeholders and clients.Lawrence revealed that the method of developing the plan was extensive but allowed measures to redesign and streamline processes to ensure the provision of high quality rehabilitation services, when and where they are need.The strategic plan also highlights the importance for a clear and distinctive mandate which is intended to ensure the alignment of practices at the local, regional and international levels.The unveiled strategic plan is in fact the second to have been formulated by the Rehabilitation Services, with the previous covering the period 2004 through 2008.The process to prepare the new plan commenced in 2008 with support from partnering organisations including the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO),[url=http://www.cheapjerseysfan.us@#$%&/]Jerseys NFL Wholesale[/url], Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Lawrence disclosed.The whole strategic planning process, she said, involved two phases, with the first including an internal review and an external consultation. ?During that internal review we brought staff from all of the regions and we reviewed the previous plan.We looked at the challenges, our achievements, and some of the lessons that we learnt and out of those findings they were collated and presented to an external consultation.?The external consultation, Lawrence revealed, involved key stakeholders including partnering Ministries, Disabled People?s Organisations and even persons with disability. As a result, a framework was developed to use in the second phase of the planning process. According to the Rehabilitation Services Director, the framework was utilised in the form of meetings and at round table discussions from which the final plan was eventually derived.This plan, she said, will be results-based thus will focus on results-oriented goals, which is a clear contrast to the previous plan which was activities-oriented.For this reason, this plan was deliberately created to be in harmony with national health and development policies and strategies including the National Health sector strategy 2008-2012, the national development strategy and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.?We also aligned this document to several conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities,[url=http://www.wholesalenfljerseyssale.us@#$%&/]Cheap NFL Jerseys[/url], PAHO/WHO documents and the National Commission on Disability Strategy 2007-2011.?Lawrence noted though that in developing the plan several new and emerging issues were identified. Among them she cited programme responsiveness, current and future staffing needs, integration into primary health care services, community integration, health promotion and disabilities prevention,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysfan.us@#$%&/]Jerseys From China[/url], inclusion and socio-economic integration.Through the strategic goal of ensuring that all preventable disabilities are reduced and all persons with disabilities are receiving equitable and high quality services it is expected disabled persons will be able to function as equal citizens, Lawrence asserted.According to her, the successful implementation of the strategy will be guided by a number of principles and values including: quality oriented services, equitable service development, improved effectiveness and accountability,[url=http://www.salecheapjerseys.us@#$%&/]NFL Jerseys From China[/url], expanded,[url=http://www.cheapestnfljerseys.us@#$%&/]Jerseys NFL Wholesale[/url], coordinated and multi-sectoral approach, partnership and collaborations, expanded access to services and facilities and to promote respect for human rights.In re-emphasising continued support to Rehabilitation Services, PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr Kathleen Israel, sought to commend all those who contributed towards the completion of the plan. According to Minister within the Health Ministry, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, efforts are being made gradually to ensure that rehabilitation services become more recognised.  He revealed that rehabilitation services over the years have received new and expanded input from the Ministry of Health.