Abstract:
BACKGROUND: In South Africa, the sharp rise in people with severe illness because of coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020, meant that health systems needed to adapt services
and operations, including rehabilitation services. Important insights into the lived experiences
of rehabilitation personnel enacting these adaptations in an African context are limited.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of rehabilitation
practitioners working in the public sector in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHOD: A phenomenological approach and a duo-ethnographic design were used. A
recruitment letter was circulated requesting volunteers. Maximum variation sampling was
used to select the 12 participants of this study. Data were collected through interviews
via Zoom, and critical conversations were facilitated by a non-rehabilitation partner who is
known for challenging health inequities. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed
verbatim. Data were analysed through elements of qualitative content and thematic
analysis. Data were coded, categorised, clustered into concepts and formulated into themes.
RESULTS: Three themes were identified: (1) ‘Management became the enemy’, (2) ‘Tired of
being resilient’ and (3) ‘Think out of the box…think on our feet’.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlighted new ways of practice, innovative
adaptations, and usage of resources and platforms.
CONTRIBUTION: This study highlights the re-imagining of accessible rehabilitation services
that could lead to deeper onto-epistemological shifts amongst the rehabilitation practitioners.
