L-R The Head of Department, Physiotherapy, LUTH, Dr. A.G Awe, Chairman, NSP Education Committee, Dr. Olusegun Adejare, the President of the Nigeria Association of Physiotherapy, Dr. Felix Odusanya, the President of the Association of Clinical and Academic Physiotherapists of Nigeria, Prof. Udoka Okafor, and ACAPN PRO, Dr. Isaac Akinola, during the NSP and ACAPN joint conference on Monday.
Physiotherapists have raised concerns over plans to introduce a diploma programme and a technicians’ cadre in physiotherapy, warning that the move could compromise patient safety and the quality of rehabilitation services in Nigeria.
The specialists argued that physiotherapy is a highly specialised healthcare profession that requires comprehensive university-level training to assess, diagnose, and manage patients with physical impairments and disabilities.
They cautioned that creating lower-level cadres without clearly defined scopes of practice could increase the risk of misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and poor patient outcomes.
The experts made the call on Monday during a joint press conference of the Nigeria Association of Physiotherapy and the Association of Clinical and Academic Physiotherapists of Nigeria at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos.
