While Gujarat had emerged as a destination of Medical tourism under the visionary leadership of its Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi, it had also started taking a number of initiatives for improving its HDI.

Towards this goal, the Gujarat state assembly had passed a bill for the formation of Gujarat State Physiotherapy Council in the state, on Wednesday, 30th March, 2011. The formation of this council would give an Independent status to Physiotherapy professionals at par with other Medical Communities like Medical, Dental, Ayurveda and Unani.

Elaborating on how this council will enhance the status of physiotherapy profession, Health Minister Jay Narayan Vyas had said, the role of physiotherapists in the delivery of health services including investigation, treatment and prevention of disease by virtue of special skills is paramount and physiotherapists are most critical manpower for providing preventive and curative health service. However, due to the absence of proper laws and regulatory systems, the profession was not getting its due recognition today.
There is no law at present in the state which provides for qualification for the registration of physiotherapists and for the registration of institutions imparting training to physiotherapists. It was therefore necessary to formalise registration of physiotherapists and also the universities and institutions conferring degrees at graduate and post graduate levels in physiotherapy.

The Council has been officially formed now.

The council will play a major role in curbing the mushrooming/growth of Sub Standard, unauthorized Physiotherapy courses in the state on one hand and on the other, it will ensure high level quality Physiotherapy care and services to the needy people. As per the new law, after the formation of the council, all new institutes and colleges coming up in the state would have to take prior approval of the council. No institute would be allowed to increase its intake capacity or start new courses without the prior approval of the state government and the council.

The council will also maintain the standards of uniformity in Physiotherapy education in the state at par with National & International Standards.

The council will act as a torchbearer for Government of India on setting the guidelines for addressing the Physiotherapy Profession. It will also open doors for Scientific and Research activities in the field of Physiotherapy, the area in which India is lagging behind today.

By professionalizing and regularizing the system of registration, recognition, standard quality education and checking the unprofessionals, the council will give Physiotherapy its due professional status in the Medical Fraternity.