Council for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy constituted in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Nov 7: The Odisha State Council for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy has been constituted providing a boost to the discipline of physiotherapy in the state. The council was constituted on June 3 under the provisions of the Odisha State Council for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Act, 2019 and the official gazette to this effect was collected from the Govt Press recently by Dr. Sthitipragya Dalabehera, President of the Odisha chapter of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) and Head of the department of Physiotherapy at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital. Dr. Dalabehera said the state chapter had been working for a long time preparing the ground for enactment of such a law in the state. A committee under the convenorship of Dr. Bhubanananda Pani had been demanding the enactment since 2011. The contribution of Dr. R.N.Das, Dr. P.P.Mohanty and Dr. Amlan Maity also went a long way in realizing this goal, she said. The constitution of the new council would greatly contribute towards professional development of physiotherapists, she said adding the support received from the IAP’s other state units in the shape of inputs had helped in making strategic plans. Four major achievements had been registered in recent times which included reshifting of physiotherapy education from the control of the Women and Child Development department to the Health and Family Welfare department, framing of minimum standard guideline for physiotherapy institutions to run the BPT course, amendment to the Odisha Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Rules, 2017 and enactment of the Odisha State Council for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Act, 2019, she said. Dr. Dalabehera thanked the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the state government for considering the long standing demand of the physiotherapists. But the need for required amendments to remove anomalies in the Act should be considered in the larger interests of the public, she said. IMS and SUM Hospital has been extending all help towards training and grooming of physiotherapists by conducting periodic clinical and practical training to reputed private colleges she said adding the hospital authorities had throw open its premises on several occasions for holding physiotherapy conferences/workshops for which the fraternity will be always be thankful towards the institute.