Physiotherapists protest against designation of ‘technicians’

Members of the Tamil Nadu branch of Indian Association of Physiotherapy (IAP) staged a protest in the city on Saturday to air their grievances about a range of issues related to official nomenclature and work conditions

Members of the Tamil Nadu branch of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy (IAP) staged a protest in the city on Saturday in support of their demands and in protest against the official nomenclature.

In a statement, association president V. Krishnakumar objected to physiotherapists being designated as “technicians” in the regulations and application form printed in the gazette of the State Allied and Healthcare Professionals Council (SAHPC) two months ago.

The SAHPCs are to be established following the passage of the National Commission of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Act in 2021 by the Centre. “In Tamil Nadu, physiotherapy has been recognised as a diploma course since the early 1970s, and as such, those qualifying in this discipline should not be classified as a ‘technician’. Its sudden use is inappropriate and should be removed from the application form. In fact, in 1971, the State government’s Tamil lexicon of official administrative titles refers to physiotherapy doctors as ‘Iyan Maruthuvar’,” said Dr. Krishnakumar.

The official said the State government departments should apply the Tamil titles Iyenmurai Maruthuvam to physiotherapy and Iyen Maruthuvar for physiotherapists. Similarly, government medical colleges should be named as Iyenmurai Maruthuva Kalloori and not Sikichai, he said.

The official body urged the authorities to specify a minimum qualification of Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) in order to set up a private practice and expressed concern over the recent decision by Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) to allow graduates of any discipline to establish clinics.

Protesters said the SAHPC stipulation of two credentials to register as physiotherapist, including that from an allopathy doctor with three years of experience, was not feasible for qualified candidates who may have studied in other districts and should be removed in Tamil Nadu.

“To ensure equal work and equal pay, a minimum remuneration of ₹35,000 should be set for physiotherapy doctors working in central and state government schemes,” he said in the statement. He said that alternative medical practitioners should not be allowed to use physiotherapy equipment in their treatment.