DPM CALLS ON PHYSIOTHERAPISTS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin Saturday called on physiotherapists to promote healthy living and prevent
disease at early stage among Malaysians.

He said as the people's lifestyle is changing, the role of physiotherapists
shifted from identifying and treating injuries and movement disorders, to
empowerment, health promotion, disease prevention and encouraging lifelong
wellness.

"One good example is by preventing childhood obesity. This is because we
know that obese children are at greater risks of suffering a multitude of health
problems ranging from cardiovascular to muscular skeletal problems.

"As part of the noble effort to address the problem of childhood obesity and
other health issues among the young, I encourage the Malaysian Physiotherapy
Association (MPA) to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to organise
health awareness campaign in schools," he said at the association's 47th Annual
General Meeting and Scientific Conference here.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the campaign would be an
effective platform to educate young people and their parents in practising
healthy lifestyle and lead a healthy life.



"As weakness and stiffness slowly creeps into our body, which is much felt
after the age of 40, I am 62 now, an experienced physiotherapist can identify
and anticipate the disabling problems early by carrying out joint screening," he
said.

Muhyiddin said the World Health Organisation estimated that about 1.5 per
cent of the world population either required or underwent some form of
rehabilitation.

The profession, therefore, assumed an important role to meet the global need
for rehabilitation, he said.

"With your expertise, I believe, you will be able to improve the quality of
life for these people and increase their self esteem for them to become proud
members of the society and contribute to the growth and development of the
nation," he said.

Muhyiddin also said the public was increasingly aware of the need for
physiotherapy and as such, the government fully supported MPA'a effort and
commitment to carry out a nationwide campaign to increase public awareness and
knowledge about the profession.



Meanwhile, MPA president Dr Balwant Singh Bains recommended that the
government employ physiotherapists in schools to treat injuries sustained by
students during school activities.

He also said the service of these physiotherapists could be extended to
those within the school vicinity by opening up a 1Malaysia Physiotherapy
Clinics.

Dr Balwant said if the government concurred with MPA's suggestion, Malaysia
would be the first to employ physiotherapists in schools.

He also suggested that the textbook be divided according to semester to
lighten school bags, which he said were getting heavier and could result in
scoliosis syndrome among students, with the structure of the spine taking an
s-shape sideways.

Dr Balwant also recommended that a physiotherapist team be deployed in every
National Service camp.

-- BERNAMA



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