March, 1958. P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y Page Three (^ o n te n ti: Editorial ...................................................................................................... An Institute for the Study of M an in Africa ........................................ Some Uses of H eat and Exercise in the Obstetric and Gynaecological Unit Ethical Principles for Physical Therapists ..................................... World Confederation for Physical Therapy, Bulletin No. 13 ................ Training for Physiotherapists in Cape Town ... ..................................... General ..................................................................................................... Branch News ......................................................................................... Page 3 Page 5 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 12 Page 13 ED IT O RIAL In M arch at the distribution of the diplom as to the Pretoria graduates, the guest speaker, stim ulated at least the more senior members o f the Physiotherapy profession to rise as a body jn answer to some o f his provocative statem ents. We are all in agreement that the integration o f health services in this country would be o f the greatest benefit to all. Why should rehabilitation centres be divorced from hospitals and split up between agencies such as the W.C.A. and the D epartm ent o f L abour? ^ However, wherever these R ehabilitation centres are established and by whomever they are administered, physiotherapists will be needed to work in them . It is no use surely, to train people to be purely technicians, capable of working only under supervision in a H ospital departm ent or R ehabilitation centre. No doctor or nurse is trained only for hospital work. Whether they spend the rest o f their days in hospital or private practice is their own concern, but at the end of their initial training they are prepared so th at they can branch out into any field they choose. In these R ehabilitation centres and H ospital departm ents all types o f cases are met with, so therefore students must be prepared to handle a wide variety o f cases. Instead o f shortening the training period, there are many who feel th at more time is required to give the students the thorough background in theory and practice which is needed for the high standard th at the Physiotherapy profession demands. Specialize they may, later, but first let them have the opportunity o f a sound basic training. We do ' not aim at turning out specialist physiotherapists but rather physiotherapists who’ can direct their knowledge along various channels or cope with whatever comes to a busy departm ent. F o r all this training, teachers are necessary. I t is required that those who teach physiotherapists must be trained teachers, holding for example the Teachers Certificate o f the Chartered Society o f Physiotherapy, L ondon, o r a similar cer­ tificate o f equal standard. In the medical profession doctors are not required to hold a teaching certificate but nurses are; for example the Sister T utors who have a specialised course after their general nursing training. Here lies the difficulty where physiotherapists are concerned, for nowhere in S.A. is it possible to take a teachers certificate in Physiotherapy; it costs money and time to send a physiotherapist over-seas to do a tw o years course. It is not a question of “ students qualifying under suffer­ ance” when they say they would like to teach, but rather a question o f no proper facilities to encourage a physiotherapist to obtain a teaching certificate. Physiotherapy in hospitals has developed tremendously during the last decade and we must move with the times. It is senseless to curtail the curriculum o f a training school for physiotherapy, it is senseless to turn out technicians with a shorter basic training and thus lower the standard of our profession, when we are being accepted more and more as an integral and respected member o f the medical services. 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. )