More rehabilitation services have been integrated into state health care services (Gesy) by the health insurance organisation (HIO), it emerged on Monday.
According to an announcement sent out to providers, as of Friday Gesy offers rehabilitation services to patients with certain respiratory conditions.
These include patients hospitalised on a ventilator in an intensive care unit (ICU) and patients who have had previous intubation, or a long-term hospital stay, or who have a chronic respiratory disease requiring oxygen.
The HIO said malnutrition or morbid obesity are considered as aggravating factors and, therefore, patients assessed as suffering from these will be given priority.
Patients with neurological diseases have long been able to receive services (with priority granted to those with craniocerebral injuries, cerebral haemorrhage, stroke, severe neurodegenerative diseases, tumours of the nervous system and severe neuropathies).
Patients with spinal injuries with severe tetra paresis, paraparesis or quadriplegia, amputations, as well as multiple trauma patients who are hospitalised in a trauma centre or surgical unit are also included.
Additional high-priority cases are those who undergo coronary bypass surgery, valvuloplasty or valve replacement, and aortic aneurysm or congenital heart disease repair operations.
Currently three centres offering rehabilitation services are operating within state hospitals and included in Gesy. The referral system for patients to a rehab centre remains the same.
