GREETING FROM PAKISTAN
My name is Wali Yasin. I am a Pakistani physical therapist. I graduated from the University of Karachi in Pakistan. I am employed by the Pakistani Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education as a senior physiotherapist. In addition to that, I run my private physical therapy clinic in Peshawar. I am also a visiting lecturer at the Mahbub School of Physical Therapy-Gandhara Medical University in Peshawar. This medical school was established in May 2007 as the first private school of Physiotherapy in Peshawar and offers a four year undergraduate degree in Physical Therapy.
Physical Therapy is not yet well established in Pakistan's smaller towns. It is more established in the major cities such as: Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar. One of the problems facing Pakistan's Physical Therapy is the severe shortage of Physical Therapists. This was quite evident in the aftermath of the October 8th, 2005 earthquake. Victims of the quake are still suffering from severe medical and physical conditions, such as amputation/paraplegia and peripheral nerve Injuries.
Pakistani physical therapists are competent and have fundamental knowledge and education in the field of physiotherapy. However, Pakistan does not have Continues Professional Development Program (CPD) for physiotherapists to keep up with the latest developments in the field of physical therapy. All of us in the field of physiotherapy in Pakistan need to commit to advancing our profession. This is why I am excited to talk about my participation in the 13th Manual Therapy International Tokyo workshop.
The workshop was a tremendous learning experience. I was exposed to the latest advanced techniques in patient care. The instructor communicated her knowledge with great skill and very clearly. She was confident, enthusiastic, and very encouraging. The theoretical portion of the workshop was well balanced with practical demonstrations and lab work. Clinical demonstrations made the subjects of anatomy and physiology easy to understand. The two-day workshop was clinically oriented, making every participant all that more enthusiastic to learn the latest advanced techniques.
My visit to Japan was enhanced by an invitation to view several Hospitals and Physical Therapy facilities. I met and observed many hard working Physical and Occupational Therapists. I witnessed their dedication and devotion to the patients, when many of them were working well past the end of their assigned shift. As a Physical Therapist in Pakistan I can operate my own clinic, as well as, be employed by someone else. I was surprised to learn, this is not the case in Japan.
I would like to thank Hideko Ogura, Chihiro Inagaki, Mitsuo Tagami, Rose. M. Felipe, all MTI workshop participants, and everyone who helped to make my visit to Japan a great success.
Sincerely,
Wali Yasin
Senior Physical Therapist
Institute For Physically Handicapped Children
M/O Social Welfare & Special Education/Govt Of Pakistan
E-mail: ptspecialist2000@yahoo.com
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