Thursday, August 22, 2019

No physiotherapy sans doctor’s prescription?
Chaitanya.Deshpande@timesgroup.com

Nagpur  22.08.2019

Patients visiting a physiotherapist without proper prescription of orthopaedic surgeon, physician, or a licensed medical practitioner will not be allowed if proposed changes in the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act get final approval. Moreover, ministry of health has also proposed to make review and re-prescription from the treating doctor mandatory after every three-week period to continue physiotherapy.

Physiotherapists across the country have already started opposing such provisions in the draft of Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Third Amendment Rules, 2019.

“Physiotherapy is a distinct profession from paramedical branch. But, in the draft proposals it has been placed in allied health profession which is inappropriate,” said Dr Umasankar Mohanty, president of national affairs committee of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP). “This provision will end autonomous and independent practitioner status of physiotherapists. They will be dependent on physicians or surgeons,” he added.

To press their demands for independent status for physiotherapy and establishment of a central council, physiotherapists across the country will be taking out a ‘Physio-Swaraj’ foot march from August 25. “We will start from Dandi in Gujarat and walk up to Sabarmati Ashram … This is crucial for us because if our independent rights are curtailed, physio profession will be ruined,” said Mohanty.

As part of this nationwide agitation, a delegation of IAP recently met Union minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur and submitted a memorandum. Gadkari has written to Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and requested him to consider the demands.

TOI has the letter written by the minister.

“Making surgeon’s prescription mandatory would be an injustice with the patients who have less serious ailments and wanted to consult physiotherapists first. Physiotherapy will lose its due professional status. Future of more than 67,000 qualified physiotherapists and 35,000 students is at stake,” said Dr Sanjay Rajhansa, member of Nagpur branch of IAP.

The ministry of health has invited suggestions and comments on the draft rules from citizens by Augustend.

On the other hand, orthopaedic surgeons found nothing wrong in the draft. “It’s a welcome step to conduct physiotherapy under the supervision and reference of doctors. This will ensure good results for patients as they will be checked after every three weeks by expert doctors,” said orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sanjeev Chaudhary, who is senior member of Vidarbha Orthopaedic Society.

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