REHABILITATION MEDICINE: AWARENESS AND SURVIVAL IN PAKISTAN
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Abstract
Physical medicine and rehabilitation also referred to as physiatry or rehabilitation medicine is a branch of medicine concerned with evaluation and treatment of, and coordination of care for, persons with musculoskeletal injuries, pain syndromes, and/or other physical or cognitive impairments or disabilities. The primary focus is on maximal restoration of physical and psychological function, and on alleviation of pain.1 Rehabilitation consultants work as team leaders and device plans and strategies to achieve maximal functional outcome for patients. The other members of the team include physiotherapists, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, psychologists, orthotist and prosthetists. Rehabilitation medicine as a specialty was introduced in Pakistan in 1994. Although for almost after two decades the specialty didn’t gainmomentum initially. There are at present only three recognized training institutes in the country and only one institute, Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) is actively imparting training to residents in the field2. The reason is little awareness among doctor community as well as allied medical professionals and medical students regarding the scope of the field. Even the National institute of rehabilitation medicine (NIRM) has only a visiting Rehabilitation physician but doesn’t have permanent Rehabilitation consultants.
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