Petition to WCPT about the Anarchy in Indian Association of Physiotherapists

Dear Sir/Madam,


"The Profession is strengthened in every country by being a member of a distinguished and honorable family, the world Confederation" - Mildred Elson, WCPT's Inaugural President

World Confederation for physical therapy is the sole international voice of physiotherapy, representing more than 350,000 physiotherapists worldwide through its 106 members, and Im proud to be a part of the confederation through my member organisation Indian Association of Physiotherapists.

We Indian physiotherapists bring forth to your notice that, Physiotherapy in India is suffering a state of anarchy and disorder. Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) conducted elections this February 2011, In March results were published and in April 2011 few people had meeting and declared that the election was null and void. Whatever had happened in the name of IAP elections and thereafter was a complete chaos.

Right now two persons are proclaiming themselves as IAP president, and it seems two separate general body of IAP exists. And there is also two IAP websites. The old site { http://www.physiotherapyindia.org/ } (which conducted election) proclaims that Prof Uma Shankar Mohanty is the president of IAP, whereas the new site http://www.physiotherapyindia.org.in/ (which declared election as Null & void) proclaims that Dr. Ali Irani is the president of IAP.

Now both the IAP are conducting examinations and both are giving registrations to the physiotherapists. So it is very pathetic of graduating students to choose between the two body, which one to apply for examination. Practicing Clinicians are also facing the similar difficulties in-order to choose which body to get registered.

Status of Physiotherapy as a profession in India has been degrading for years and it is has become an avalanche now. IAP being a non government organisation had no power to prescribe syllabus to universities,had no power to provide license to practice, was not able to provide legal support to practicing clinicians. IAP had no right to determine pay scale for Physiotherapists. IAP could not exercise powers to create or remind government to create vacancies for physiotherapists. This has continuously lead to the down flow of the status of the profession in India. Public has started to neglect physiotherapy as an independent health profession, entry into the universities for the basic degrees has decreased tremendously, in the recent five years of duration hundreds of physiotherapy collages are closed as they don't fill their seats. (Indian Medical Association) IMA has always tried to suppress and exploit Physiotherapy profession. We physiotherapists has always wanted Indian government to form a separate council, which will govern the norms of the physiotherapy education and practice, eventually it will fulfill all the above deficiencies. IAP being the largest representative of Physiotherapy in India has not shown any interest in bringing the council.

Fortunately Indian government has been planning to form a general health council {The National Council for Human Resource in Health in India}, which will include Physiotherapy as a separate body. whereas the state of Indian physiotherapy is now a complete disorder. We physiotherapist feel insecure and unregulated as both IAP proclaims to be the functioning body. If we fail to act now as a single entity the future of physiotherapy profession in India will be at stake. we frustrated physiotherapist are willing to withdraw the IAP registrations and in-turn our relationship with WCPT, if no actions are taken.

In this situation we found that the new website formed by the Ad hoc Committee after the IAP election which is lead by Dr. Ali Irani is represented in WCPT website. We request your notice that in India there are two functioning IAP's, and to take sufficient steps to declare anyone of the valid body to run the office. We invite your kind pursual to solve the disorder.