DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Khaliq-ur-Rehman has said that the provincial government was taking practical measures to strengthen allied health services, create professional development opportunities for young health professionals and ensure the provision of quality healthcare facilities closer to people’s doorsteps.
He was addressing a ceremony organised by the All Pakistan Physiotherapy Association as chief guest.
The provincial health minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was fortunate to have a large young population and that physiotherapy was a field where the demand for skilled and trained professionals was expected to increase significantly in the future.
He said effective promotion of physiotherapy and rehabilitation services could help reduce the unnecessary use of medicines. However, the sector had not received the attention it deserved in the past. He said the present government was taking serious steps to address the issues and concerns of physiotherapists and enable them to play a more effective role in the public healthcare system.
Khaliq-ur-Rehman said approval of house jobs for physical therapy graduates was an important development that would provide young physiotherapists with better opportunities to gain practical training and professional experience. Similarly, approval of a service structure for physiotherapists was a significant step towards resolving their longstanding professional issues.
He said the Health Department was working to address all legitimate concerns and issues of physiotherapists and assured that their genuine demands would be resolved on a priority basis.
The minister said steps would also be taken to increase quota seats and paid internship opportunities, enabling young physiotherapists to gain greater exposure and advance in their professional careers.
He said the Health Department was working on the creation of new posts in the primary and secondary healthcare systems to ensure adequate human resources at Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals.
He added that, keeping in view patient load and local healthcare needs, plans would also be developed to establish regular physiotherapy services at selected BHUs, THQ hospitals and District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals.
The health minister said physiotherapy posts and services would be expanded in phases at healthcare facilities where rehabilitation services were currently unavailable.
He said physiotherapists would be integrated more effectively into the public healthcare system in areas including rehabilitation, disability-related services, post-accident recovery, and the treatment and rehabilitation of patients suffering from chronic diseases.
Khaliq-ur-Rehman said training and capacity-building programmes would also be introduced to promote modern physiotherapy and rehabilitation practices.
He said the government’s objective was to ensure that citizens did not have to travel to major cities to access basic physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, adding that such facilities should be made available closer to their communities.
“Our reforms will not remain confined to paper approvals. Our next phase is to ensure implementation of these decisions, create employment opportunities and expand healthcare services at the grassroots level,” he said.
The provincial health minister urged physiotherapists to discharge their professional responsibilities with honesty, hard work and dedication and to utilise their skills and services for a better future for Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He further said the government’s priority was quality rather than quantity and that measures would be taken in the health sector to ensure better, effective and quality services for the public.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the organisers presented a shield to Provincial Health Minister Khaliq-ur-Rehman. The minister also presented shields to members of the organising committee in recognition of their role in organising the event.
