China's rehab services suffer from lack of investment

Seated beside a bed much larger than those usually found in hospital wards, Zhang Xiue looked hopefully at her 72-year-old husband as his legs were bent and stretched time and again by a young female rehabilitation technician.

The old man's journey to the Shanghai No 1 Rehabilitation Hospital started six months ago at their home in Taixing, Jiangsu province, when he had a sudden fall and lapsed into unconsciousness. Even with an operation after his stroke, he still could not move his limbs, speak, or even eat.

Discontented with her husband's recovery, Zhang decided four months ago to move him to this hospital, one of just a handful of dedicated rehabilitation institutions in the city.

"I am glad he can now swallow food - his stomach tube was removed a month after we came here. He can also speak simple words," Zhang said. "He still lies on the bed, and can't sit or walk. But I'm confident my husband's situation will improve."

Zhang said she never had heard of medical rehabilitation before her husband's stroke, and his treatment had rekindled the family's hopes.

In a room next door, Hang Chao , 36, stood with his legs bound to a vertical bed and his arms supported by a table, as part of rehabilitation exercises for a rare nerve condition.