To celebrate this year's World PT Day, the Amref International University hosted health experts for discussions on rehabilitation and management of COVID-19 patients through physiotherapy. Themed ‘Physiotherapy is key to your recovery from COVID-19‘, the Kenya Society of Physiotherapists (KSP) organised the forum that included live demonstrations of some of the physiotherapy techniques for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.
‘‘During the COVID-19 pandemic, physiotherapists have been playing a key role as frontline workers from the ICU to community-based settings after discharge,’’ noted Dr Catherine Wambua, Head of Department, Rehabilitative Medicine at Amref International University (AMIU) and Secretary-General, Kenya Society of Physiotherapists.
Amref Africa CEO, Dr. Githinji Gitahi, graced the event marked in adherence to health precautions in the fight against COVID-19. KSP leadership dedicated the day to helping the general public understand physiotherapy as a profession.
"Physiotherapy is a branch of medicine. It entails assessment, diagnosing and treatment of diseases or disabilities," explained the KSP National Chair Henry Opondo in a televised interview with KBC.
Of concern to the leadership was the risk of COVID-19 infections amongst physiotherapists. This year's celebration was aimed at promoting the role of physiotherapy prior, during and after infection with the coronavirus.
Misguided Public Conceptions
Many people tend to think Physiotherapy is massage, a belief that makes patients seek medication when it's too late. According to Dr. Catherine Wambua there are concerns on generalisation of physiotherapy. She said physiotherapy has to be individualised since there is no standard treatment for all conditions. The high number of quacks in the market also emerged as a concern with KSP officials appealing to the public to demand licence verification. It is every patient's right to ascertain that they receive treatment from a professional physiotherapist that is licenced to operate.
