Speakers, including physicians, at an event on Wednesday emphasised the need for an integrated care approach combining medicine and physiotherapy to ensure better recovery for patients.
Their views came at a press conference held at the National Press Club in Dhaka city, organised by the Bangladesh Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to mark 鈥楴ational Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Day 2025鈥� observed on November 13.
Presiding over the event, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Professor Md Taslim Uddin said, 鈥極ur life expectancy is increasing, but with that comes more pain and reduced functional ability. Medicine alone cannot solve this.鈥�
He emphasised that alongside medicine, physiotherapy鈥檚 role was crucial in restoring patients鈥� health, enabling them to lead healthy and active lives.
Noting that 70 per cent of deaths occurred due to three major conditions鈥攕troke, heart attack and chronic diseases, he said, 鈥榃ith the right treatment approach, patients can be returned to lead self-reliant and productive lives.鈥�
Citing a UN estimate that one in every seven people in Bangladesh lived with some form of disability, he said, 鈥榃e want institutions to not only provide medical care to such patients, but also to offer physiotherapy so that they can fully recover before returning home.鈥�
Reading out a written statement, the society鈥檚 general secretary MAK Azad called for strengthening physical medicine and rehabilitation units in all public and private hospitals across the country, recruiting adequately trained rehabilitation personnel, raising public awareness, making existing laws effective and expediting policy implementation.
Organisers also said that a rally would be held at 8:30am and a seminar at 10:30am at Bangladesh Medical University on Thursday to mark the day.
