EDITORIAL
This edition of the Journal is de­

voted to articles relating to physio­
therapy education in the African 
context, primary health care and 
rehabilitation. These are all matters 
of vital importance to our profes­
sion and need to be addressed if we 
want to remain a relevant and vi­
able profession. We need to be­
come actively and conscientiously 
involved in all facets of health care 
and we must ensure that our serv­
ices do contribute to the health of 
the majority of the citizens of South 
Africa.

Primary Health Care

Primary health care is the princi­
ple behind the restructuring of 
South Africa's health services, yet 
it is still seen by some to be second- 
class care for the poor and those in 
rural areas. Pat Bowerbank ex­
plains the concept of PHC and 
clarifies some of the fundamental 
issues. PHC is not only preventive 
care but is an integrated system of 
promotive, preventive, curative 
and rehabilitation services. Bower- 
bank's article offers some guide­
lines as to how physiotherapists 
can becom e m ore activ ely  in­
volved.

A w ork ing co m m ittee, con­
vened by Sheena Irwin-Carruth- 
ers, has held numerous workshops 
to establish the role our profession 
will play in future health services. 
Position papers have been drafted 
and sent to Branches and Groups 
for possible refinement. These pa­
pers have also been sent to policy 
makers in our country, to non-gov­
ernmental organisations and other 
health professionals in order that 
they may become aware of what 
physiotherapy can and should 
achieve.

Community Involvement

Community involvement in all 
aspects of health care is stressed by 
planners of the new health policies. 
The SA Medical and Dental Coun­
cil is considering com m unity- 
based un d ergrad u ate m edical 
training, but has conceded that this 
will not automatically lead to im­
proved medical services in under­
staffed areas.

The SASP has recognised the 
problem of poorly serviced rural 
and peri-urban areas and has 
urged for improved conditions of 
service and career opportunities in 
order to attract more physiothera­
pists to these areas. P Wallner and 
A Stewart discuss reasons for the 
introduction of a community com­
p o n en t in the u n d e rg ra d u a te  
physiotherapy programme at the 
University of the Witwatersrand. 
This has given students greater in­
sight into the needs of various 
communities and the problems 
that need to be addressed. How­
ever, greater incentives need to be 
created to draw physiotherapists 
to these areas and keep them there.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation has been the C in ­
derella aspect of health care in both 
the public and private sectors. Be­
cause of the long term care needed, 
rehabilitation is seen as time con­
suming and not cost-effective. An 
interesting aspect of rehabilitation, 
which is affordable, effective and 
appropriate is presented by Helen 
Myezwa. This is the concept of the 
rehabilitation village which was 
started in Zimbabwe in 1986. This 
type of rehabilitation depends on 
the services of less qualified health 
personnel to undertake the train­
ing of c a r e -g iv e r s , and

physiotherapists provide intermit­
tent consultative and administra­
tive skills.

Recently the African Rehabilita­
tion Institute (ARI) designed a 
physiotherapy programme for im­
plementation in African countries. 
Although South Africa was not in­
volved in the workshops, the Ad­
visory Committee of the Profes­
sional Board for Physiotherapy has 
taken cognisance of this informa­
tive document. Suggestions have 
been made to implement certain 
aspects of the document into the 
South African physiotherapy cur­
ricula. In the article by Dele Amo- 
sun, a comparison is made be­
tween the ARI proposal and the 
training programmes in Nigeria.

Ethics Committee

A number of nominations for the 
chairpersons of the Ethics Com­
mittee have been received. Mem­
bers of the SASP are requested to 
elect four members from the list 
provided, to serve on the new com­
mittee of the SASP. Matters to be 
addressed by this peer review 
committed are the maintenance of 
standards of practice and quality 
assurance as well as the resolution 
of ethical problems which may 
arise in physiotherapy practice in 
hospitals, special schools and pri­
vate practice.

WCPT-Africa

A brief report of the successful 
General Meeting and Congress of 
WCPT-Africa is given. Hopefully 
South African physiotherapists 
will not only participate in next 
year's WCPT congress in Washing­
ton, but will also contribute in 
greater numbers to the next Afri­
can Congress in 1996.

Physiotherapy, August 1994 Vol 50 No 3 Page 47

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.

)