Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. July 21, 2022: The Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO) has partnered with Hocoma, a global market leader for the development, manufacturing, and marketing of robotic and sensor-based devices for functional movement therapy, to launch “Small steps to a great journey”, an international initiative enabling People of Determination to walk cross-country distances. The initiative reinforces ZHO’s commitment to the world-class treatment and rehabilitation of People of Determination in helping to overcome challenges within society.
“Small steps to a great journey” will begin in Abu Dhabi with People of Determination using Hocoma’s Lokomat to learn how to walk or improve walking capabilities, before continuing to Istanbul, Turkey (in partnership with Memorial Şişli Hospital), Zagreb, Croatia (in partnership with GLAVIĆ Clinic), and concluding in Zurich, Switzerland, where groups of rehab patients will carry on the challenge in each city. During the walk, steps and distance will be monitored throughout as the participants collectively will be encouraged to walk the distance of travel between each city and complete a virtual journey.
Concluding at the end of the year, “Small steps to a great journey” will inspire rehab patients in their daily efforts towards improvement as they undergo gait physical therapy using Lokomat.
His Excellency Abdullah Al Humaidan, ZHO’s Secretary General, said: “At ZHO, we are committed to supporting People of Determination on their journeys to better health. The ‘Small steps to a great journey’ initiative will see People of Determination across markets stand up and walk, some for the very first time which is hugely inspiring. By partnering with Hocoma, we have access to state-of-the-art robot-assisted technology and therapists that will support participants as they walk vast distances and push boundaries. We expect this initiative to empower participants, and we walk alongside each person involved in Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Zagreb, and Zurich on a memorable journey, while extending our gratitude to our partners Memorial Hospital and Glavic Clinic for joining us on this endeavor.”
Mitja Hribar, Director – International Sales, Hocoma, said: “Over the past 20 years, we have proudly partnered with the most prominent institutions in the field of rehabilitation, bringing advanced solutions to those that need them most. “Small steps to a great journey” encourages all Lokomat users to join the initiative launched by Zayed Higher Organization, Memorial Şişli Hospital, and GLAVIĆ Clinic, to promote the importance of perseverance and teamwork. By bringing together patients from all over the globe, we are not only counting steps towards the final destination, but creating a stimulative environment to encourage, support, and as a team, overcome the obstacles along the way. We are excited to follow the patient’s progress, to see new partnerships resulting from this initiative, and most importantly, to witness happy patients once they achieve their goal.”
Engin Çakar, Prof. Dr., Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Robotic Rehabilitation Center, Memorial Şişli Hospital, said: “It is a pleasure to take part in such a great international project initiated by ZHO. This project will touch the lives of rehabilitation survivors and create awareness among the public. Understanding and explaining the "Small steps to a great journey" concept is important. We fight without many diseases and conditions within this concept. We motivate our patients to take one more step every day with patience and dedication. And while doing this, we use scientific methods and the latest technological developments. In recent years, technological developments in the field of rehabilitation have provided significant benefits to patients and specialists. With the robotic rehabilitation devices developed by Hocoma, we can safely offer the most effective treatments to our patients for years. Accompanied by this initiative, we look forward to telling patients around the world a small step is the beginning of great results.”
Prim. Dr. Josip Glavić, Founder and Owner of Glavić Clinic, said: “Our mission is to inspire hope and lead forward robotic neurorehabilitation of patients in the world combining the best of human and technology capabilities interaction. Each additional step for our patients is a giant leap of rewards for our team. We want to give a chance to everyone for a better quality of life, for better opportunities, for better their own. We are delighted to partner in initiative with Zayed Higher Organization, Memorial Hospital from Turkey and strategic partner Hocoma - all together for better quality of life for patients. Together with our partners in initiative we want to encourage, empower, break boundaries and give hope for today and for the future.”
Glavic Clinic is robotic neurorehabilitation center where neurorehabilitation is carried out following the unique GLARTH concept. This enables doctors and therapists to put their patients at the heart of rehabilitation and to work together towards achieving the goal of a better tomorrow. More than 25 years of work is behind Glavic Clinic. All this time the Clinic has been striving towards one goal: a satisfied patient.
By applying advanced technology in treatments for People of Determination, ZHO launched the region’s first integrated robotic therapy laboratory – Smart Rehabilitation Laboratory.
To read more about the initiative or register your rehabilitation clinic to take part in the challenge, click here