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Health Minister hopes Singapore will offer such a university-level course in a few years
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, paying tribute to the health-care role of physiotherapists here, wants to widen the pool while also raising their status and standards.
He hopes that in a few years, aspiring physiotherapists can obtain local bachelor’s degrees, instead of having to go overseas.
In an off-the-cuff speech at an event yesterday, he said his ministry was discussing with the Education Ministry the idea of local undergraduate physiotherapy courses.
He praised the work being done here to train diploma-level physiotherapists, but added he “would like to see a push all the way to postgraduate level locally” as soon as possible.
In Singapore, Nanyang Polytechnic is the only school that offers training in physiotherapy. Those who want to obtain degree-level training in this area have to go overseas.
Mr Khaw, speaking at a World Physiotherapy Day event organised by the Singapore Physiotherapy Association, also said the proposed Allied Health Professions Bill will be introduced in Parliament before the year end.
The Bill, announced by his ministry earlier this month, plans to introduce a new law to regulate allied health professionals.
It will call for a regulatory body, the Allied Health Professions Council, to be set up to oversee the conduct and practice of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists.
This council will have the power to take disciplinary action against errant allied health professionals. Currently, there are about 1,300 allied health professionals here.
Mr Khaw, 56, cited his own recent illness to point out the benefits that a good physiotherapist can provide in the recovery process. He had a heart bypass operation in May this year.
He noted that many people were either unaware or sceptical of the positive effects of physiotherapy. Pointing out that he is still on cardio rehabilitation, he added that “having gone through it...I appreciate even more how important a physiotherapist is”.
Mr Low Hsien Chih, president of the Singapore Physiotherapy Association, said many people realise the benefits of physiotherapy only after a personal episode, such as in the case of Mr Khaw.
“Most are not aware that they can reach certain levels of functionality with the right rehabilitation process. It’s a continuous journey towards educating and creating awareness of this issue,” he said.
Dr Ann Choo, a former president of the Singapore Physiotherapy Association, has long called for the setting up of a registry for allied health professionals.
But she said that while it was important to ensure standards in the profession, “the new regulations cannot be so tight as to prevent people from entering the field”.
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