Health Min rules out inclusion of physiotherapists in medical category

After toying with the idea for long and drawing flaks from the medical fraternity, the Centre has made it clear that the physiotherapists cannot be included in medical category on par with the medical graduates. The Health Ministry hence will introduce a new Paramedical and Physiotherapy Central Council Bill instead of the earlier one introduced in the Parliament in 2007 and sought to rework the very definition of physiotherapists. The bill triggered the debate with physiotherapists demanding equality with the medical practitioners who strongly opposed the move. “Physiotherapists can’t be included in medical category as they are not the first contact person in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various diseases and disorders which in fact is being done by physicians (doctors) registered with Medical Council of India,” a senior official of the Health Ministry said. “Further, their demand for parity is merely on the basis of duration of course and the courses of study of physiotherapy have not any similarity with that of physicians and dental surgeons. In addition duties performed by various categories of employees i.e. doctors, dental surgeons or physiotherapists are different and no equation can be drawn on this basis,” he said, putting at rest all debates so far. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, had in its consultancy Report for the Fifth Central Pay Commission had recommended to include physiotherapists in the medical category like dental surgeons were included by Fourth Pay Commission in the Medical category, triggering a debate. However, the 5th pay commission did not take into account this recommendation. The Paramedical Council Bill, introduced in Lok Sabha in December 2007, aimed to set up central councils for lab technicians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists with a view to regulate the sector as number of institutions to train these personnel were on the increase in the recent years. But the bill caused some ripples in the medical circle following reports that the government may back by the claim of physiotherapists to provide diagnosis and prognosis for medical problems and make it an independent system of medicine. Though the government cleared a bill to set up an omnibus apex body for all allied paramedical professionals in September 2004, later it was redrafted to set up three separate councils after the physiotherapists' lobby mounted pressure against being clubbed with others. It also gave up the idea of allowing medical specialities to have a say in the regulation of their paramedical disciplines. Source:Pharmabiz