KMU marks World Physical Therapy Day

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani has said that the importance of physiotherapy in the medical field is by no means less than that of clinical sciences.

Both the fields are of equal importance and have their own place in the health delivery system. The importance and scarcity of physiotherapists in the country came to the fore in the tragedy of the 2005 earthquake, though it is very important in the developed world.

This is an ideal treatment as medications have many side effects but physiotherapy has no side effects. Painkillers have temporary benefits but are not a permanent cure for any disease. “If physiotherapy is used from the day one, we can avoid many complications that occur through self-medication,” he said while addressing as chief guest at a ceremony held in connection with World Physical Therapy Day organised by Khyber Medical University (KMU) Peshawar.

KMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zia-ul-Haq, former vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Hafeezullah, Registrar Prof Dr Muhammad Saleem Gandapur, Dean Allied Health Sciences Prof Dr Haider Darain, Director IPMR Dr Irfanullah, heads, faculty and students of various constituent and affiliated physiotherapy institutes attended the event.

Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said that instead of running after government jobs, the younger generation should create employment opportunities not only for themselves but also for the working youth around them through their medical services.

He said the main function of universities should be research, innovation and commercialisation. He said that hopefully, Vice Chancellor KMU Professor Zia-ul-Haq would make KMU an ideal university for the province and also for the country.

He said that western countries do not have natural resources, nor do they have abundance of agriculture and human resources, but they are leading the world in economic and medical fields due to their focus on research and applied sciences.

“Allah Almighty has endowed us with immense natural and human resources so if we also move forward by focusing on research and applied sciences, the day is not far when Pakistan will also be among the developed countries, Inshaa Allah,” he added.

He assured that he would soon talk to the provincial government to resolve the issue of physiotherapist house jobs on a permanent basis.

Addressing the function, Prof Dr Zia-ul-Haq said the field of physiotherapy has been neglected in the past when it was a three-year diploma, but now it has become a five-year Doctor of Physical Therapy degree programme, which is increasing in importance and need, and now there is a need to make it even better in quality.

He said that KMU would be the first university in the country where, like other programmes, a PhD in physiotherapy would be introduced soon. Prof Hafizullah and others also addressed the function.

Earlier, the speaker provincial assembly planted saplings at the university lawn along with Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zia-ul-Haq and Director QEC Syeda Asiya Bukhari and also inaugurated the Central Secretariat of Pakistan Network of Quality Assurance in Higher Education (PNQAHE) at the QEC Directorate.