GOLDEN ERA FOR REHABILITATION SCIENCES WITH ENORMOUS CHALLENGES

Abstract

Education in rehabilitation sciences have seen a boom in the last two decades in Pakistan and a variety of
undergraduate and postgraduate courses have been introduced in the country. Up gradation of BS physical
therapy into DPT program, BS Occupational Therapy into Doctor of Occupational Therapy, introduction
of BS programs in Allied Health Sciences including Speech and Language pathology, Respiratory therapy,
prosthetics and orthotics are glimpses of development of rehabilitation sciences in the country.
Moreover, establishment of new rehabilitation centers have increased in number and a variety of patients
with different rehabilitation needs1. These new centers might be helpful to fulfill the potential upcoming
demand and competition for quality in healthcare services in the country. It seems plausible that with
enhanced skills of the professionals produced in the field of rehabilitation, the demand of consumers for
having best quality will raise and sooner the need of having set national standards for these professions will
be realized by the concerned authorities. At the moment, the authorities seem least interested in the formation
of regularity bodies for individual profession.