Both the Union and state governments are focusing on revamping medical education both qualitatively and quantitatively, said Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister Sudhakar K on Friday.
Speaking at Physiocon 2022 in Mangaluru, an international conference for physiotherapy, Sudhakar said that there are seven physiotherapists for a population of 10,000 in America. However, in India, there is a ratio of just 0.59 physiotherapists for a population of 10,000.
To eradicate this shortage of doctors and other specialists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been focusing on revamping medical education in the country establishing many more new medical colleges. With the increased number of colleges, there will be a higher output of doctors which will help ease this shortage.
Medicines cure diseases. But physiotherapy gives a new lease on life. Physiotherapy provides solutions to many problems including disability, nerve-related issues, etc, he said.
In today’s age, knowledge is the most important power. In physiotherapy, skill is just as essential as knowledge and physiotherapists must develop their skills. Technology and research will play a key role here. Physiotherapy is a very old body of knowledge and in our Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda has several aspects of physiotherapy, he said.
Those who perform Yoga and Pranayama every day will gain the power to recover quickly even if they fall sick. It is important to note how essential physical activity is to stay healthy, he explained.
When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the Health Department in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), began to provide psychological counseling to Covid-19 patients and their families, he said.
In the initial days, there were instances where people suffered panic attacks after they tested positive for Covid-19. Because of this, to provide mental strength and emotional support to them, counseling sessions were conducted. Under this program, around 25 lakh people were provided with psychological counseling, he added.
“We should provide mental health services along with physical health services to people. For this, the Union Finance Minister, under this budget, has announced the Tele Mental Health program. This will be done in collaboration with NIMHANS and it is a proud thing that the Karnataka government’s initiative will now be emulated across the country,” he said.
Addressing the media after the event, Sudhakar reiterated that students who returned from war-torn Ukraine will be allowed to continue their learning in over 60 medical colleges in the state.
“There shouldn’t be any hindrance to their learning. So our government is providing them with an opportunity to continue learning. A committee has been formed to look into this. This will not be an additional financial burden to the students. We don’t know what will happen in the future, whether the students would be willing to go back to Ukraine after a ceasefire or not,” he said.
“So this is a temporary measure to allow them to continue their learning. This arrangement will be made in government, private, and deemed colleges,” he said.
