14 Physiotherapists return home

FOURTEEN trained physiotherapists, including three females, have returned home after a successful completion of a two-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree programme in The Netherlands.

The programme was under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Health (MOH), in conjunction with The Netherlands Government.

The new officers will supplement the services of the few and aged physiotherapists in the health sector of the country.

A Deputy Director in-charge of Fellowships/Postgraduate programmes of the MOH, Mr Seth Acquah, disclosed this in an interview in Accra.

He said the institute traditionally offers a three-year degree programme in physiotherapy but it agreed in principle to admit health professionals like nurses to undergo a two-year programme to save money and time.

According to Mr Acquah, based on the past experience of the MOH, it decided to recruit only nurses who have a general knowledge in medicine for the programme, adding “most candidates who are not health professionals often refuse to return home after studies.”

He indicated that physiotherapy is an alternative medicine for the treatment of blood circulatory related sicknesses through the manipulation of the body instead of using drugs.

Mr Acquah disclosed that the Dutch Government has donated physiotherapy equipment and also improved the infrastructure at the physiotherapy centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

He said the MOH has suggested to the Dutch Government to assist in the establishment of a physiotherapy school in Ghana.

Meanwhile, the 14 new physiotherapists will formally graduate on Saturday at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.