President, PM for joint efforts to ensure treatment of disabilities

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today emphasized the need for involvement of all concernd to ensure proper medical services for the people with disabilities.

On the eve of the World Physiotherapy Day, in separate messages, they urged all to work together to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities and those at risk of disability in the overall development of the country and ensure their medical services, improve their quality of life and make them self-reliant in order to build Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dream 'Golden Bangladesh'.

In his message, the President said, "Worldwide physiotherapy is a recognized, effective and side-effect-free treatment for the treatment of chronic pain and other ailments. The need for physiotherapy treatment has become more visible at this time of the Corona epidemic."

"Even after recovering from Covid-19, various physical complications occur among the victims. I think physiotherapy can play an important role in resolving these complications," he said.

In her message, Prime Minister said, "I am delighted that a special supplement has been published on the occasion of World Physiotherapy Day 2021 at the initiative of the Department of Physiotherapy, CRP,”

This day is being celebrated every year since 1996 to accurately assess the outstanding contribution of physiotherapists.

"Immediately after independence, the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started the treatment and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in Bangladesh," she said.

In order to provide services to the war-wounded freedom fighters, rehabilitation services in the country were started with the establishment of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), she said.

Following this, Valerie Ann Taylor, a British citizen, started the CRP's initial activities in the warehouse of the present Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. Since its inception, the CRP has been providing medical, education, vocational training, employment and rehabilitation services to paralyzed patients, said the premier, she said.

"In line with our election commitment, we have implemented a comprehensive program for the development of the health sector in the last 12 and a half years. In the period 1996-2001, we started community clinics. When the BNP came to power in 2001, it closed community clinics, she added.

"As a result, ordinary people were deprived of healthcare. After the formation of the government in 2008, we re-launched the community clinic with the aim of bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of the people. So far, we have launched about 16,000 community clinics and union health centers where 30 types of medicines are being given for free. We have formulated the 'National Health Policy-2011' and started implementation of the Eighth Five Year Plan with the priority of achieving 'universal health care", she said.

The Awami League government is working relentlessly to improve the living standards of the disabled and those at risk of disability, she said, adding, "Under the Ministry of Social Welfare, we are providing physiotherapy medical services to marginalized people at the union level through 103 disability services and help centers and 32 mobile therapy vans. By June 2021, we have been able to provide physiotherapy services to 5,82,907 people," she added.

Sheikh Hasina said, "We have provided counseling services, including free manual and instrumental therapy services to 19,224 children and individuals with autism through the Autism Resource Center."

"Our government is effectively dealing with the ongoing Corona epidemic. The CRP's physiotherapy department has been playing an outstanding role in resolving various complications of coronary and long covid," she said.

In order to solve the problems of 'Long Covid' complications, rehabilitation services in every branch of the organization and through 9 branches of CRP, it is providing physiotherapy medical services to about 80,000 patients every year among the people from all walks of life, she added.

“Let us work together to ensure the medical services for all the people with disabilities and those at risk of disability and to play an effective role in improving their quality of life with the aim of building Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dream Golden Bangladesh,” she said.