A FLAGSHIP JOURNEY OF PHYSICAL THERAPY & REHABILITATION SCIENCES PROFESSION IN PAKISTAN

摘要

Concerned with providing treatment to individuals to initiate the movement, maintain the existing movement and regain the range lost due to injury or disease and maintain function throughout the life span. Physical therapy aims at providing treatment to individuals in situations where function and movement are limited by aging, disease, injury or other environmental factors. In Pakistan the profession was initiated through diploma course producing physiotherapy technicians, but now there are skilled and well trained therapists providing the best treatment to patients. The field is progressing fast in 1 Pakistan and is regarded as one of the most popular career. In Pakistan the profession of physical therapy developed slowly and it attained the present education level and appreciation in 50 long years. In 1956 at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College the first ever school of physical therapy was established by Ministry of health in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO). This first school established in Karachi started a diploma in physical therapy of 2 years duration with matriculation (science) as entrance requirement. Later In 1961 the diploma program was upgraded and converted into diploma course in physiotherapy of three years duration. Later In 1963, the only existing school of physical therapy in Pakistan transformed the three-year diploma course to Bachelor of Sciences in Physiotherapy degree course of three year duration after its affiliation with University of Karachi. The requirement of this degree was of Higher Secondary School Certificate (premedical). The up gradation to degree program of three years from diploma was a landmark in professional growth. In 1986, at Mayo Hospital Lahore the Second School of Physiotherapy was established, later university of Punjab got affiliated with this school of physiotherapy. It offered Bachelor of Sciences in physiotherapy program of three-year duration. Since then there was a status quo, the physiotherapist of our country were joyful, as achieving Bachelor of Sciences in physiotherapy degree was an assurance for a job abroad. But as time passed the credential requirements for physical therapists were varying and it has become difficult to get jobs abroad for Pakistani degree holders. Later in year 1999 the degree of B.Sc. Physiotherapy was upgraded to four year degree of Physical Therapy in both the private and public sector medical colleges. Currently there are 42 institutes in Pakistan which offer the entry level degree programs in physical therapy, but only six institutes are offering DPT program, other institutions still offer Bachelor of Sciences 2 in physiotherapy degree program (a four-year degree) . To fulfill the deficiency of Bachelor of sciences in Physical therapy there are some universities in public and private sector including Isra, Riphah, UHS and King Edward Medical University which offer Post Professional Doctor of physical therapy (PP-DPT) of twoyear duration for physiotherapists who are working. Now PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences is offered in Pakistan only by Isra University Islamabad among the private /Public sector 3 universities of Pakistan . It is important to mention here, National Curriculum Committee for Physical therapy is formed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for entry level 4 Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) course evaluation . As Pakistan is in developing phase so it is difficult at this stage to cope with the international standards in every perspective of this profession. Currently majority physical therapy institutes are missing modern facilities and latest standardized teaching methodology. Among major problems is scarcity of competent mentors due to which there is lack of skilled professionals. Unfortunately, in Pakistan central regulating authority or professional council of Physiotherapists is missing. But there are few local associations and societies like Pakistan Physical Therapy Association (PPTA), Charted Society