The Paramedical and Physiotherapy Central Councils Bill 2007 may be rephrased as Allied Health Professions Central Councils Act 2007 to better cover the contents on variety of specialties and will be presented in the Parliament in the coming session, in line with the recommendations of the concerned House Panel.
The Parliamentary Standing committee for Health and Family Welfare, in its recent report, suggested creation of the Physiotherapy Central Council, the Occupational Therapy Central Council, the Medical Laboratory Technology Central Council, and the Radiology Technology Central Council to govern the respective areas, endorsing the aim of the original bill but replacing some words and bringing more clarity to the definitions in it.
Significantly, the panel headed by Amar Singh set at rest the row in the medical fraternity about the attempt to equate medical practitioners with physiotherapists. "The Committee finds that the issue of definition of physiotherapy has elicited very strong and emphatic views both for and against from physiotherapists and medical practitioners as well as from the Ministry. The Committee is constrained to observe that instead of there being an objective assessment of the definition of physiotherapy, unnecessary and unwarranted controversy on the status of physiotherapists versus medical practitioners has been dwelt upon by all concerned. The Committee is somewhat disturbed by the diametrically opposite stand taken by the physiotherapists and medical practitioners. In the process, the academic exercise of defining a profession has been done away with and element of professional insecurity and rivalry seems to have become more important," the report said.
The panel which examined the bill for over one year through elaborate discussions also recommended replacing the word 'technician' with 'technologist' who has recognised medical laboratory technology qualification.
"Committee's attention was also drawn to the inclusion of 'occupational therapy' in the definition of 'physiotherapy'. The Committee finds it surprising that an independent profession with entirely different course of study, mode of treatment and approach in treatment and rehabilitation of patients has found place under another profession. The Committee was informed that both occupational therapy and physiotherapy having entirely separate curriculum were recognized as separate disciplines in educational institutions, hospitals and medical institutions across the country have separate departments of occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The Committee strongly feels that reservations are based on valid ground and accordingly recommends the deletion of words 'occupational therapy' from the definition of 'physiotherapy," the report said.
"The Committee notes that inclusion of words 'medically directed' is the most contentious part of the definition of 'occupational therapy' as indicated in Clause 2 (1) (k). There is no doubt in the mind of the Committee that occupational therapists are responsible for detailed assessment, treatment planning and implementation of treatment regimen. Keeping this fact in view and also their training period of four and a half years, the Committee does not subscribe to the view that the words 'medically directed' need to be retained in the said clause," the panel observed.