Physical therapy

This is with reference to my letter ’Physical therapy’ (August 10) about the lack of a council for physical therapy. I wish to draw the attention of senior officials at the HEC to a notification issued by them on June 30, wherein students and parents were being alerted to confirm the accreditation of professional degree programmes before seeking admission in such programmes. Putting an alert out and not taking any action against colleges and universities which continue to admit gullible students into professional programmes amounts to gross negligence on the part of the HEC, the Health Services and Systems Department and the Ministry of Education. Since there is no Council for Physical Therapy, action should be taken by these organizations and departments mentioned against such institutes that continue to admit students into their DPT degree programmes.

According to information available online, there is a Pakistan Physiotherapy Association which was formed in 2008. In 2009, the association drafted and submitted a text for the establishment of the Pakistan Physical Therapy Council, to the relevant authorities. After hectic lobbying efforts by the Association, the federal cabinet approved the establishment of the Pakistan Physical Therapy Council in May 2018. It has been over a year now, and nothing has been done by the relevant authorities, to work towards the establishment of the council. DPT is number four in the list of professional, medical programmes in Pakistan after MBBS, BDS and Pharmacy. Why are authorities not giving it the importance it deserves?

Kaneez F Kassim

Islamabad