GOLDEN ERA FOR REHABILITATION SCIENCES WITH ENORMOUS CHALLENGES

Education in rehabilitation sciences have seen a boom in the last two decades in Pakistan and a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses have been introduced in the country. Up gradation of BS physical therapy into DPT program, BS Occupational Therapy into Doctor of Occupational Therapy, introduction of BS programs in Allied Health Sciences including Speech and Language pathology, Respiratory therapy, prosthetics and orthotics are glimpses of development of rehabilitation sciences in the country. Moreover, establishment of new rehabilitation centers have increased in number and a variety of patients with different rehabilitation needs1. These new centers might be helpful to fulfill the potential upcoming demand and competition for quality in healthcare services in the country. It seems plausible that with enhanced skills of the professionals produced in the field of rehabilitation, the demand of consumers for having best quality will raise and sooner the need of having set national standards for these professions will be realized by the concerned authorities. At the moment, the authorities seem least interested in the formation of regularity bodies for individual profession.