Physiotherapy students want equality in status

Unlike their counterparts in medicine, physiotherapy interns often complain of not getting their due. HT reports.

Unlike their counterparts in medicine, physiotherapy interns often complain of not getting their due.

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To protest against the discrimination faced by them, the the Indian Physiotherapy Students' Association (IPSA) held a peaceful rally at central Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Thursday.

More than 100 physiotherapy students took part in the rally to put forward their demands that included establishing a separate council for physiotherapists, on the lines of the Medical Council of India.

"Unlike other medical interns, we do not get any stipend. There is also not a single super-specialty government hospital anywhere in the country that at present offers a Master's course in physiotherapy," said Eram Saleem, a member of the IPSA.

The students also complained that even government hospitals do not offer residentship in physiotherapy at the moment.

The students also had a problem with the segregration of recruitment rule for graduate and post-graduate physiotherapy professionals in the government sector.

"We have diploma, graduation, post-graduation and Ph.D in physiotherapy, but when it comes to recruiting physiotherapists, the government gives no importance to the level of study," said a student.

The students also want the period of internship to be increased to one year.

"The current six months of internship is not enough to cover all the branches. We demand an extended internship," said Saleem.