PHYSIOTHERAPISTS are key players in rehabilitation medicine, ensuring patients are adequately managed during recovery.
They help individuals regain mobility, strength and function after injury, surgery or illness, including post-stroke rehabilitative care and recovery from falls and fractures.
Currently, the ratio in Malaysia stands at one physiotherapist to 7,400 people, which is much lower than the ratio in developed countries, which is one physiotherapist to 2,000 people.
In July, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the government would introduce physiotherapy certification courses in the national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum to address this gap.
Is this the way forward to address the shortage? Those in the industry disagree as they say it would undermine professional standards.
The current educational requirements for physiotherapists are designed to ensure a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy, physiology, pathology, clinical conditions and therapeutic techniques, says Malaysian Physiotherapy Association president Associate Professor Dr Mohd Haidzir Abd Manaf.
Lowering entry requirements would undermine the professional standards the industry has worked hard to establish, he adds.
Physiotherapy is a specialised field that requires extensive training and education to ensure practitioners are competent and capable of providing safe and effective care.
Haidzir says allowing individuals who have come through a technical or vocational programme to treat patients as physiotherapists could potentially compromise quality of care.
"Current standards should be maintained to guarantee that all practising physiotherapists possess the essential knowledge and skills to manage complex rehabilitation cases."
Technical or vocational training might not provide the depth of education required to understand the intricate details of human movement, injury mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.
Instead, the government should provide business grants and entrepreneurship training for unemployed physiotherapy graduates in Malaysia, says Haidzir.
This would empower these graduates to establish physiotherapy centres, particularly in rural areas where access to such services are limited.
On the other hand, TVET programmes specifically tailored for training rehabilitation aides can be implemented.
Haidzir says a rehabilitation aide, also known as a "rehab assistant", is a vital professional who collaborates closely with rehabilitation teams to support patient recovery.
MAKE PATIENT CARE A PRIORITY
Reclassifying physiotherapy as a TVET course could have a significant and negative impact on patient care and rehabilitation, says Pantai Hospital Cheras senior physiotherapist Doris Lee.
Lowering entry standards could lead to inadequately trained practitioners, resulting in misdiagnoses, inappropriate treatments and potentially harmful interventions.
This could erode patient trust in physiotherapy and diminish the quality of rehabilitation services, she says.
"The role of a physiotherapist in rehabilitation care is indispensable. Physiotherapists are central to helping patients regain mobility, strength and function following injury, surgery or illness."
Their expertise lies in assessing impairments, developing individualised treatment plans and implementing interventions that promote recovery and prevent complications.
Lee says the collaboration between physiotherapists and rehabilitation physicians is also crucial to create comprehensive care plans, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach.
Lowering entry requirements could result in practitioners who lack the necessary depth of understanding and skills, ultimately compromising quality of care.
The profession also demands a rigorous educational and clinical training process to equip practitioners to diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of physical conditions.
The integrity and quality of physiotherapy practice are paramount, says Lee, and any changes to the educational pathway should carefully consider the potential impact on patient care and professional standards.
Normed Sdn Bhd founder and chief physiotherapist Houston Tee acknowledges the good intentions behind incorporating physiotherapy into TVET. However, he warns that shortened training programmes may lead to underprepared graduates who lack the skills to provide safe and effective care.
Moreover, physiotherapy requires a deep understanding of human anatomy, movement science and rehabilitation techniques, which are developed over years of study and practice.
"Diluting these educational standards could result in a workforce that struggles to meet the complex needs of patients, potentially leading to poor outcomes in rehabilitation," he says.
The long-term impact of this could extend beyond individual patient care, as it may also lower the professional reputation of physiotherapists and create inconsistency in the quality of services offered, he explains.
Maintaining high educational standards is essential for safeguarding the integrity of the profession and ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients.