The Medical Recruitment Board on Sunday announced on its website vacancies for occupational therapists in government medical college hospitals. For the therapists, it is the fruit of their year-long struggle.
The government has notified 18 vacancies, but therapists say there is need for at least 50 more therapists in the State.
Occupation therapy as an allied programme was introduced in the 1950s. The therapists help in cognitive rehabilitation and train patients to live independently after a stroke or a neurological damage. The therapists used to be part of the neurology, psychiatry and the rehabilitation medicine department.
In the last 25 years, the profession has remained neglected in the State. Occupational therapist posts in Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and Institute of Mental Health and the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in K.K. Nagar, have not been filled after the therapists retired.
As a result, patients were treated for their condition but not for rehabilitation.
“The MRB has created new posts for which we had been fighting, but the government has made no move to revive the 11 lapsed posts though the Medical Council of India norms stipulate that each medical college should have an OT department,” said Sugumar P. Raj, co-convenor of Tamil Nadu branch of the All India Occupational Therapists Association.
At MMC, two therapists were posted to train persons with spinal cord injuries. In Stanley, two therapists trained patients who underwent hand reconstructive surgery.
Eighteen vacancies have been announced, but 50 more are needed
