Physiotherapists with the Name!

Recently, there was a recommendation given by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for physiotherapy and pharmacy practitioners to stop using “Doctor” with their names as their professional designation and rank. Unfortunately, this recommendation was readily rejected by the entire pharmacy and physiotherapy community of Pakistan, declaring it highly offensive.

According to the local media, this recommendation given by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council was given to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination to bar physiotherapist and pharmacists from billing themselves as doctors. After such a rush of response, the Ministry has restricted itself from taking any response.

Physiotherapists all across Pakistan protested on such a recommendation by stating that the Council itself does not have any authority on them. Keeping in mind this statement, it is not an authoritative decision taken for physiotherapists but it is actually a recommendation given by the council to Ministry of National Health Services, which does have an authority over physiotherapists.

The status of this recommendation is debated across the board. Some termed the recommendation as nonsense because it did not carry any sense at the first place. Physiotherapists all around the world are recognized as doctors because their degrees are certified as doctors across globe. Countries may differ in their local laws but there are some essential rules and policies in medical science that the entire medical fraternity has to follow. Certifications and recognitions of various degrees is one of them.

Studying the role of a physiotherapist more deeply signifies that a physiotherapist is a person qualified and experienced in the treatment of ailments and injuries related to muscular disorder through physical methods. Council believes that there are various new and modern fields of medical science budding in the world daily so fields like physiotherapy loses its worth, which obviously is not correct. An assumption that the physiotherapy, the art of a physiotherapist will become outdated and lose its worth due to more modern forms of medicine is completely vague.

Literal definition of a doctor is a qualified person able to perform basic surgery and general medical tasks. Keeping in mind this definition, physiotherapists are wisely and correctly labeled professionally as “Doctors”. Snatching this name away from them will only make them devalued and demoralized. Efforts that physiotherapists of Pakistan perform can never be jeopardized like this. They are undoubtedly, national saviors of Pakistan, who should not face such unconstitutional amendment!