Physiotherapy and NCHRH Bill, 2011- a review and memorandum for changes.

Jan. 15, 2012 - PRLog -- After the promising news for Physiotherapists in India with Parliamentary standing committee report tabled in the Lok Sabha in 2008 and the initial draft of the NCHRH Bill, there is again enough feed for worry with the new version of the Bill tabled in the Rajya sabha. There are regulations as well on professionals who opt for foreign education in the present Bill.

For the physio community which had been fighting hard especially for the last few years, the worst imaginable situation has come up in the form of the NCHRH Bill, 2011. Physiotherapy, or for that matter any allied health profession, is not given any mention in the present Bill. It is still unclear whether the profession has been included under any categories in the present version, or has been excluded for the time being considering the indecision there was on the profession, its definition, rights, duties and limits within the government departments.

But there is enough room for suspicion whether the profession, along with other allied health professions, has been included the ‘Paramedical Council’ which finds a mention in the Bill. Same being one of the major issue with the ‘Paramedical and Physiotherapy Central Council Bill, 2007’, it should be expected that the Bill will face stiff challenge from not just physiotherapy professionals, but all other allied health professions as well.

Though the reasons are obscure about why allied health professions do not want to be under the Paramedical Council, it seems that these professions have a separate identity and is no more considered a paramedical profession anywhere else in the world is the major reason. The other few factors which should be assumed to affect the professions when being under the Paramedic Council will be that pay revisions and professional development will be equally affected. Pay revisions in our country always followed with the level where each profession is placed by the government legislations. Thus being along with a lot of other technologist professions in the Paramedical Council, allied health professions will have a tough time getting a better pay scale revision in the future. More will be its effect on the development of those professions in the country, which infact does have a major role in the health field in the days ahead.

It is quite surprising that they have ignored physiotherapy when the profession along with occupational therapy had State Councils and Registers already in place in Maharashtra, TamilNadu, Gujarat and Delhi. There is no mention of what will happen to those Councils and its members. Things are also same with the Rehabilitation Council of India which finds no mention.

To assume that the findings of the Parliamentary committee headed by Sri. Amar Singh in 2008 was not considered by the Ministry while drafting this Bill, is surprising a lot. The time, effort and money spend on the meetings, Bill drafting, presentation, Parliament time etc. to be wasted as such seems so confusing.

On the bright side, it should be hoped that, if in case our profession is included under the paramedics, will be as per the findings of the Parliamentary committee report tabled in 2008 in the Lok sabha. More than where our profession is represented, it should be given more thought on how it is represented even if it is as an independent Council or under the Paramedical Council.

To continue reading the positive aspects, the clauses incorporated for who wishes to train abroad and view the memorandum that is to be submitted to the Parliamentary committee, follow:
http://www.physioblasts.org/news.php?extend.124.2