Page 2 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y March, 1962 E D I T O R I A L A s all m em bers o f the S outh A frican S o cie ty o f P hysioth erapy are n o w aw are w e are d eterm ined to succeed in the task o f o b ta in in g leg isla tio n for state recogn ition by m eans o f a Public B ill through Parliam ent. O ver a period o f 35 years this task has been attem p ted tim e and a gain , but alw ays m eetin g w ith failure for so m e reason or other. W e are lau nching o u t again on th is E P IC S T R U G G L E and this tim e w e m ean to succeed. T h e Central E xecu tive A c tio n C o m m ittee has circularized all B ranches and is p la n n in g a N a tio n a l C am p aign to this end. A s lo n g a g o as 1927 three fo u n d er m em bers o f the new ly form ed S outh A frican S o cie ty o f M assage and M ed ica l G y m n a stics interview ed M em bers o f P arliam ent and the M inister o f H ealth w ith a view to o b ta in in g registration w ith the S o u th A frican M ed ica l and D en ta l C o u n cil under th e p rop osed M edical and D en ta l and P harm acy A ct. It w as not until ten years later, h ow ever, th at the p rin cip le o f co m p u lso ry registration w as form erly ad o p ted by the S o u th A frican S o ciety o f P hysioth erapy. In 1938 th e S .A .S .P . w hich had recently been form ed , p etitio n ed th e M inister o f H ealth to institute a co m p u lso ry register for M asseu rs and P h ysioth erap ists and con cu rren tly th e S outh A frican M ed ica l and D en ta l C o u n cil w as p etitioned to su pp ort our request. T h en fo llo w ed various d ep u ta tio n s to the M inister o f H ealth w h o ex ­ p ressed h im s elf in fa v o u r o f c o m p u lso ry registra­ tio n , but little a ctu a lly cam e o f these interview s until in 1943 a new register for M ed ica l A u xiliaries w as op en ed by the S outh A frican M ed ica l and D en ta l C o u n cil. T h e P h ysioth erap y S o ciety w as invited to act in an ad v iso ry cap acity. T h is w as m o st significant as it w as th e first official reco g n itio n o f the S ociety. D u rin g the next few years the G o v ern m en t inti­ m ated that it w as prepared to proceed w ith a Bill for C o m p u lso ry R eg istra tio n but for o n e reason or a n o th er th e m atter w as alw ays shelved or the Bill passed over. By 1947 th e p ro p o sed B ill w as d efinitely gazetted at last, but im m ed ia tely w ithd raw n by th e G o v e rn ­ m ent b ecau se o f stro n g o p p o sitio n from m em bers o f the new ly fo u n d ed H ealth F reed o m S o cie ty w h o had gained trem en d o u s p u b licity and p opu larity. A t th e sam e tim e D r. E. B. W o o lf attem p ted to in trodu ce a Bill to p rotect M ed ica l A u x ilia ries, to g ive th e p u b lic the a d v a n ta g e o f k n o w in g w h ich A u xiliaries w ere o f scientific basis and p ro tectin g it again st m alpractice. T h is n o b le effort a lso failed. W ith the ch a n g e o f G o v ern m en t in 1948 there w as n o pressure fro m th e S o u th A frican S o ciety o f P h ysioth erap y fo r a few years. T h e late D r. Karl Brem er to o k us under his w in g in 1951 and he introduced in to P arliam ent a Bill for C o m p u lso ry R egistration o f S up plem entary H ealth Services. Dr. Brem er sh o w ed trem endous interest in this Bill and put a great deal o f effort in to m aking it su cceed. T h e Bill passed through two readings and w en t forw ard to a select com m ittee, but, sadly, D r. Bremer died su dd en ly and the Bill w as o n ce m ore dropped. T h e South A frican S o ciety o f Physiotherapy again started o n the ep ic struggle in 1953 but again w e m et w ith o p p o sitio n and d isap p oin tm en t. At o n e p o in t it w as con sid ered that if w e introduced a Private B ill to regulate P hysioth erapists o n ly we m ight be m ore su ccessfu l; but this proved un­ p opu lar and im practical. N o t until 1961 did an o p p o rtu n e m o m en t present itself for the re-introd uction o f the original Health S ervices Bill. T h e o p p o rtu n ity arose and w e meam to take every ad vantage to press for L egislation . V arious ch an n els have been exp lored , m eetings held in J oh ann esb urg, Pretoria and elsew here with influential speakers in clu d ing P rof. D art (N ational President o f the P h ysioth erap y S o ciety), and repre­ sen tatives o f the M ed ica l A sso c ia tio n . It is p lanned to in trodu ce the B ill essen tially the sam e in principle as in 1952. T h is p rovid es for: 1. T h e esta b lish m en t o f C o m m ittees in each G roup . 2. T h e k eep in g o f a Register for certain M edical A uxiliaries. 3. T h e p ro h ib itio n o f p ractice by unregistered persons. A t this p o in t it m ight be as w ell to con sid er the benefits o f C o m p u lso ry R egistration : 1. P ro tectio n o f the n am es— M asseu se and P hysioth erapist. 2. M edical P ractitioners w ill be required to refer a p atient to registered P hysiotherapists only. 3. T h e P ub lic and th e M edical P rofession w ill b e| assured that they are d ealin g w ith properly qualified P h ysioth erap ists only. T o ach ieve our aim o f C o m p u lso ry R egistration m uch tim e and th o u g h t has b een exp en d ed and m u ch m ore w ill have to be exp en d ed before we su cceed. Every effort is b ein g m ade to stim ulate interest in th e S o u th A frican S o ciety o f P h ysio­ therapy b o th a m o n g st th e lay p u b lic and in the m edical w orld. A C entral A c tio n C o m m ittee has been form ed as w ell as Branch A ctio n C om m ittees w hich are starting the N a tio n a l C am paign for C om ­ p ulsory R eg istra tio n . M inisters are to be inter­ view ed ; th e S o ciety is to have m uch professional p u b licity and n ow a N e w s Letter is being produced w hich w ill g o in to circulation sh ortly in form ing the p u b lic a b o u t our S o ciety and our w ork. C O M P U L S O R Y R E G I S T R A T I O N IS O N ITS W A Y . Please support you r C o m m itte e’s efforts. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )