Beyond saving lives, restoring them

FOR patients of the University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI) Physiotherapy Department, rehabilitation has meant more than recovering from injury or surgery; it marks the return of independence to their daily lives. When Dr William Aiken took the stage during the department’s open day on Thursday in a leg cast supported by crutches, he showed up in the capacity of a patient, though he also bore the titles of consultant urologist and head of surgery at UHWI. “On the 26th of July, I had a little tussle with a croaking lizard, and had severed my left Achilles tendon and had surgery on the 3rd of August to repair it.

And as you would know, physiotherapy is a critical part of the rehabilitation process after undergoing an injury like that,” said Aiken, as he chuckled at his misfortune. He was among other patients who shared their rehabilitation testimonies during the open day which formed part of activities to mark the 2026 World Physiotherapy Week. For a specialist whose days are dedicated to treating diseases of the urinary tract and male reproductive system, the sudden accident altered Aiken’s routine.

However, given the nature of his job, the head surgeon could not stay away from his duties for long. He began occupational rehabilitation, a process designed to return a patient to a functional state within their professional role. “I reached out to Dr Bennett [director of the physiotherapy department], and she accepted me as a patient with alacrity, and she and her staff have been very kind to me.

I have benefited from her expertise. When I come here, I’m treated royally, and I can speak to the facilities that are here; they are second to none…So I can truly say that I’m very proud of this physiotherapy department and what it offers,” said Aiken. Now back in the operating room, the head surgeon has adapted to his recovery by sitting to rest his leg during procedures, a minor adjustment that allows him to press on with his life’s work.

“I have never met an unpleasant physiotherapist, never. In all the years I’ve been working here, and I’ve been here 30 plus years, physiotherapists are really an important backbone of the services offered in the hospital,” said Aiken. Opposition spokesperson on health Dr Alfred Dawes also gave high praises to the physiotherapy department, as the greeting he was slated to deliver turned into a testimony.