Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM/NR)  
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje

Mangalore, Feb 7: 'Majority of the physiotherapists in the country are located in urban areas only, with villages being largely neglected. The onus is on teachers to encourage and promote physiotherapy in rural regions,' advised Dr Ali Irani, former physiotherapist of the Indian cricket team and president of Indian Association of Physiotherapy.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the 5th All-India Physiotherapy Students’ Conference (AIPSC) at Town Hall here on Thursday February 7, he informed that physiotherapy was declared as the third best profession in the United States in a survey held last year.

'It is my dream to make it the top most profession in India' he declared passionately and stressed on the need to work towards enriching the profession. Moreover, expressing his confidence with regard to the future of the profession, he said, 'Physiotherapists have been struggling to have an independent council in India since last 15 years. This dream will soon come true,' he added positively.

Dr Mary Martin of Canada in her keynote address elucidated, 'We need to see the world through wide angle lens with patients’ eyes. Let us move from the medical world to the real world of patients. Then only can we make a real difference in peoples’ lives,” she declared.

Dr M Ramgopal Shetty, former Syndicate member of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, presided over the function. Dr Dee Barlow of Oklahama University, Dr Deepak Kumar, Dr Praveen Aaron, former MLA U T Khader, Dr Bharath Shetty, Dr Nidarsh Hegde, A Sadanand Shetty, Dr M R Shetty and others were present on the dais. Dr Susan Varghese welcomed the gathering.