The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

The National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics Rehabilitation (NITOR), the country's biggest orthopaedic hospital for the treatment of bone diseases and rehabilitation of patients, is running short of physiotherapists.

According to the doctors and physiotherapists working at the hospital, at least 50 therapists are needed to handle the large number of patients coming to the hospital.

But not a single physiotherapist was recruited in the hospital in the last 25 years.

Earlier, the institution sanctioned 10 posts of physiotherapists, but the posts remain vacant till date and the hospital is providing treatment to the patients with severe shortage of manpower and equipment.

"One of the main aims of the institute is to prevent disability and to rehabilitate patients for which physiotherapy plays a vital role," said one of the two physiotherapists of the hospital.

After visiting the outdoor section and the Department of Physiotherapy of the hospital this correspondent found that though doctors were advising the patients for physiotherapy on a daily basis, patients were asked to come twice a week for physiotherapy due to lack of qualified manpower and required instruments.

Dr Kazi Humaun Kabir, Assistant Professor and Course Coordinator of Physiotherapy of the NITOR, said at present the hospital has only two qualified physiotherapists.

"As the service is given twice a week a patient, who needs one month's therapy, takes three to four months to complete the treatment. Besides, the irregular treatment ultimately may not give the desired result," said Dr Kabir.

Due to the lack of qualified physiotherapists, health technologists from the Institute of Health Technologists in Dhaka were being engaged to give therapy, he said.

Moreover, the two physiotherapists have to attend classes and do other administrative jobs as well, which hamper their duty at the hospital, he added.

Patients have to wait several days to get an appointment for treatment at the physiotherapy section of the hospital for shortage of manpower and equipment.

Dr Nazrul Islam, Lecturer of Physiotherapy and a physician of the hospital, said, "It is very hard to attend all the patients every day, as people from all over the country come to the hospital for orthopaedic treatment."

"On an average we have to attend to 50 patients a day which is very difficult for us. Apart from patients from Dhaka city, we get patients regularly from far flung areas of the country as there are no physiotherapists at the district level hospitals," he said.

At present, there are three traction machines, two Short Wave Diathermy (SWD) machines and one Ultra Sound Therapy (UST) at the physiotherapy centre. There were three Infra-red Ray Radiation (IRR) machines but now these are not working. Doctors said they need at least six SWDs and as many IRRs and USTs.

"Patients have to wait in queue for at least two hours to get a 10-minute heat therapy," said a duty doctor.

"Patients do not stay at this hospital for regular physiotherapy which is very important for rehabilitation and to prevent disability. NITOR is for rehabilitation but nothing significant is being done for the rehabilitation," he said.

At present, eight intern doctors are working in the hospital from 8:00am to 2:00pm - two in the outdoor section and six in wards where physiotherapy is given without using instruments. There are some assistant therapists who have passed diploma course. They work under the intern doctors.

In spite of the acute shortage of qualified physiotherapists, there were no recruitments to the vacant posts or no new post created in the last two decades.

The physiotherapy students who are doing graduation at the institute are not getting the opportunity to apply for the vacant posts, as the Public Service Commission (PSC) has not advertised for it. Some of them are working at the private sector and many brilliant students are leaving for developed countries where physiotherapists are in good demand.

Students of the institute said that there are only two permanent teachers, including the Principal, for the physiotherapy course under the Medicine Faculty of Dhaka University at present. At least six teachers and equal number of demonstrators are needed.