2 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y SEPTEMBER, i 97? EDITORIAL VAN DIE REDAKSIE WHITHER PHYSIOTHERAPY? T h e Post-R egistration course preceding the 12th N atio n al C ouncil m eeting held in M ay 1977 emphasised th e change in attitu d e tow ards physiotherapy, both from physiotherapists and th e medical profession, which has developed over the past decade. D ialogue betw een the two professions is now on an equal level. Physiotherapists have the courage o f their convictions; they a re prepared to speak up w hen consulted. T hey are very critical o f th e ir own w ork, its validity and effective­ ness; they have developed enquiring m inds, are doing research, exploring new techniques and new fields of therapy. T hey are ruthlessly discarding th a t w hich seems to be ineffectual o r can be replaced by m ore efficient and up-to-date treatm ents. T hey are som etim es “ dis­ covering” old techniques and applying them to new o r different conditions and situations; best of all, they have discovered the im portance o f com m unication — with each o th er, patients, o th er param edicals, the nursing and medical professions. Physiotherapy is on the brink o f a very exciting era and it is up to each physiotherapist to exploit and explore this. T h e world is Y O U R oyster and it is up to Y O U w hat you m ake o f it. If each and every one o f us did just th a t bit extra, com m unicated just th a t b it m ore of o u r ability to som eone outside o u r small circle, im parted a sm all spark o f enthusiasm and joy in o u r profession, we w ould soon set the world on fire. A T R IB U T E M iss E lizabeth B otting has given generously of her tim e and energy to this Jo u rn al fo r nearly tw enty years. U n d er often difficult and h a rd pressed circum stances she still m anaged to produce an attractive, em inently read ­ able an d practical m agazine th a t enjoys wide readership. I t has been a w orthy shop window, allowing a glimpse of w hat goes on in the P hysiotherapy w orld o f South A frica, highlighting outstanding events, expressing con­ stan t grow th and aw areness o f p atien ts’ needs and re la t­ ing dialogue w ith others involved w ith patients. She can look back on h e r years o f E ditorship only w ith pride and th e know ledge o f a job well done. N o t th a t it is finished! T h e present E ditorial B oard is indebted to h er fo r agreeing to act as Jo u rn al Liaison Officer on the N atio n al E xecutive C om m ittee, and in p articu lar fo r all the trouble she took to travel to C ape Tow n to han d over “ h e r” Jo u rn al and its effects in person! W e hope to have a long and happy association w ith her and to m aintain a stan d ard w orthy o f her. M rs. M olly Levy has been Jo u rn al T re a su re r fo r an even longer period (longer th an she cares to rem em ber she says!) and continued in this capacity when th e pre­ vious E ditorial B oard was established, despite increasing responsibility as N atio n al C hairm an and m em ber o f the Executive C om m ittee of W .C .P.T . T he healthy financial state o f the Jo u rn al and the continued support of loyal advertisers is entirely due to h e r diligence and persuasion. O u r h e a rtfe lt th an k s to h e r also. W AT HET ONS BEREIK? M eer as vyftig ja a r gelede h et twee klein groepies fisioterapeute (in K aapstad en Johannesburg onderskeide lik) besluit om hulle kragte saem te span te r bevorderin van fisioterapie as ’n beroep. D it was die begin van die Suid-A frikaanse Fisioterapie V ereniging, w at vandae m eer as I COO lede sterk is en in 1975 sy G oue Jubileum gevier het. T en spyte van problem e soos groot afstande in Suid- A frika, gebrek aan opleidings-fasiliteite, m in en trar professionele erkenning is die stryd m anm oedig voort gesit. ’n Sentrale U itvoerende K om itee is in Johannesbun gevestig en word later die N asionale Uitvoerendi K om itee, belas m et roetine sake van belang vir die V ereniging. T akke is gestig in geskikte sentra en bied aan lede die geleentheid om by te d ra to t die besigheid van die V ereniging, om verdere en voortdurende op- voeding te ontvang, nuw e tegnieke en tendense te leer ken en ook sosiaal te verkeer. E lke twee ja a r word ’n N asionale Raadsvergadering bele. T akke stu u r afgevaardigdes en besluite rakende alle lede word bespreek en vasgele. D aar w ord voortdu- rend gestreef o m bv. salarisse en diensvoorw aardes te verbeter, nuwe w erksgeleenthede te skep en professionele erkenning te verkry. D ie eerste opleidingsentrum vir fisioterapeute kom in die laat dertigerjare aan die U niversiteit van die Wit- w atersrand to t stand. V andag is d a a r sewe opleiding- sentra. Twee bied d riejaar diplom akursusse aan, die an d er v ierjaar graadkursusse. O nderwysdiplomas, na- graadse diplom akursusse, m agister- en doktorsgrade word aangebied, asook k o rte r kursusse te r bevordering van professionele bedrew enheid. F isioterapie was die eerste param ediese beroep om ’n eie B eroepsraad onder die vleuels van die Suid-Afrikaanse G eneeskundige en T andheelkundige R aad te verkry. ’ij Stryd om erkenning is uiteindelik b ekroon toe verpligte registrasie geproklam eer is en sedert D esem ber 1976 is alle stedelike gebiede as voorgeskrew e verklaar. Dus volgens w et m ag slegs fisioterapeute die beroep fisio­ terapie (soos in die S taatsk o eran t om skryf) in hierdie gebiede beoefen. As so ’n klein groepe toegewyde pioniers soveel vir fisioterapie bereik het, hoeveel m eer kan bereik word as elkeen v an ons skouer aan die wiel sit en ons deel doen! 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. )