NEW DELHI: Physiotherapists in India are up in arms against the Union health ministry for not creating a separate council to regulate the medical steam under the new National Commission on Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) Bill.
The fight is led by celebrity physiotherapist Dr Ali Irani, a long-standing physio for the Indian cricket team and also boasts of a host of Bollywood stars like Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee among his patients.
The new Bill presented in Parliament recently aims to create an overarching body that will have the Medical Council of India (MCI), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Nursing Council of India (NCI), Dental Council of India (DCI) and the proposed Central Councils for Paramedical and Allied Medical Sciences Education under it.
The Union health ministry says, \"The paramedics council will cover lab and imaging technicians and physiotherapists.\"
This, however, has not gone down well with India\'s 30,000 physiotherapists. Dr Irani argued, \"How can physiotherapy which is a four and a half year degree course be put at par with a two year paramedical course meant for technicians?\"
Dr Ali is seeking a separate physiotherapy council and has taken his fight to several MPs, including head of the parliamentary standing committee Mr Brajesh Pathak.
Dr Ali said pointed out that 187 colleges offer a bachelor\'s degree in physiotherapy. Similarly, 82 colleges and 12 universities offer PG and Ph.D degrees, respectively, in the subject. Almost 80% of all physiotherapists are women.
\"It\'s strange that the ministry is turning a deaf ear to our demands. We are asking them to regulate us, but they aren\'t interested. A Council will ensure a common standard of education, practice and pay. It will also put in place regulations that all physiotherapists will have to follow. Now, physiotherapists are functioning as per their whims and fancies that can be damaging for patients,\" Dr Ali explained.
The issue was also taken up by Congress MP Priya Dutt with Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad assured Dutt that the NCHRH Bill would include a Council for physiotherapy as well.
The overarching body would be headed by a secretary-general, who will hold office for a fixed term of three years. S/he will have five separate councils under it, each dedicated for categories like medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and paramedics.
The PMO is now pushing for an early introduction and passage of the NCHRH Bill by Parliament. It has asked the Union health ministry to work towards \"strengthening of public health through creation of necessary human resources capacities at all levels.\"
A ministry official said, \"The parliamentary standing committee for health is examining the Bill and are expected to submit their comments in three months. We hope to place it in the next Parliament session.\"
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com
Friday, March 23, 2012
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