Today I went with one of the neurology attendings (the only child neurologist in Tanzania) to the multi-disciplinary outreach clinic outside of Moshi. It's called CCBRT, which stands for Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania. The program is funded by the government and an NGO, and is set up to help families with special needs kids, mostly cerebral palsy, to be able to better care for the children at home. A parent, usually the mother, comes for a 1 week stay with her child and is taught by speech, occupational, and physical therapists helpful things for taking care of a special needs child. The clinic also can help find & fit wheelchairs and special stationary chairs to make the children more comfortable and more able to interact with their family & environment. The neurologist goes out every Wednesday for a check-up and to treat seizures, spasticity, or any other medical issues. It seems like a really great place. We saw everything from young babies with developmental delays to a school-aged child who had never seen a doctor or been evaluated for seizures. It is truly a unique set-up, and very well-run.
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