In late November 2011, over 1,000 physiotherapists went on a two-day hunger strike in Delhi. The main reason for this protest was the below par service conditions and neglect. They demanded a regulatory body on the lines of the Medical Council of India. In fact, more than 67,000 physiotherapists have planned a pan-India campaign for the passage of a bill for the establishment of a Central Physiotherapy Council. It is a known fact that the number of institutes teaching physiotherapy is fast on the decline. This has resulted in a drop in the number of students opting to take up this course. Further, most students don’t continue in this profession; some leave the country for further studies as there is less opportunity for growth. Even after one gets a PhD or masters in physiotherapy, one is generally paid as much as a nurse. It is hoped that with the establishment of a council, there will be a regulatory body that enforces a standardisation of education and quality of the physiotherapists in India as well as an upgrade of the profession. Dr Sanjiv K Jha, general secretary of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) said that with the decrease in the number of institutes, there has been a dip in the number of students . He feels that this is primarily because there are no regulations for the courses run by different institutes and the conduct of the professionals.
Volume 1 Issue 7
