Physiotherapy helps Covid-19 patients

With the world and Pakistan still reeling from the impacts of the novel coronavirus, physiotherapists can help people understand the long-term effects of the virus while aiding the recovery of infected patients.

This was stated as Shifa International Hospital (SIH) geared up to celebrate World Physical Therapy Day on September 8 (today). The focus for this year is on the rehabilitation of recovered novel coronavirus (Covid-19) patients and the role of physiotherapists in their treatment and management.

SIH Rehabilitation Department Associate General Manager Kashif Khan said that the day is an internationally recognized annual event where we can promote the discipline of physical therapy and highlight the role physical therapists play in keeping populations well, mobile and independent.

“A physiotherapist can help people understand the long-term impact of Covid-19 and work with them to support their recovery,” he said.

SIH Chief Operating Officer Taimoor Shah said that physical therapists the world over are playing their role in enabling people with physical limitations to exercise their rights and freedom.

Faiza Badar, a manager at the Rehabilitation Department, shared that early diagnosis and proper interventions “result in better functioning of the individual ensuring his/ her acceptance in the society.”

She also mentioned the role of a physical therapist in the rehabilitation of patients diagnosed with Covid-19. A poster competition was arranged by Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University on this occasion, in which students of Doctor of Physiotherapy/ Physical Therapy (DPT) participated.

Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University Head of the Rehabilitation Sciences Department Dr Abdul Ghafoor Sajjad stressed the need to abolish quackery in the field of allied sciences.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2020.