The extension of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) units to Primary and Community Health Centres in the State is the need of the hour to effectively utilise the service of specialist doctors in the stream, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy has said.
Inaugurating the fifth State conference and Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) at the IMA Hall here on Saturday, the Minister said the physical medicine stream, which was found effective in rehabilitating people suffering from physical disabilities, had been remaining ignored for the last several years. The trend should be changed with the extension of the service to as many hospitals as possible, she said.
Ms. Sreemathy said it was the Left Democratic Front-led government that played a productive role in utilising the service of specialist doctors through the introduction of the Specialty Cadre system in the State.
The Minister also claimed the State achieved covetable leaps in strengthening the Sports Medicine Department in allopathic and ayurveda medical streams during the LDF regime . The Institute of Sports Medicine now functioning in the Kozhikode Medical College could be upgraded by introducing more facilities, she added.
Responding to IAPMR leaders' query regarding the use of doctor's title by some physiotherapists, the Minister said the matter would be reported to the Department of Health for further action. “It will not be fair to equate the professional expertise of a particular medical stream with that of some other stream,” she said.
IAPMR State vice-president Sreedevi Menon presided over the inaugural function. Kozhikode Medical College Principal C. Raveendran, IAPMR national president George Joseph, State unit secretary P.C. Muraleedharan, and organising committee chairman S. Abdul Gafoor were present.
The conference will conclude on Sunday.
