On World Physiotherapy Day, budding doctors pledge to serve the community

Every year, World Physical Therapy Day is observed to raise awareness about the critical role of physical therapists and chronic pain therapies in keeping each one of us healthy and fit. The theme for this year was  “Prevention and Management of Osteoarthritis”.  

Osteoarthritis is the second most common rheumatologic problem. As per survey reports, it is the most frequent joint disease with a prevalence of 22% to 39% in India. In fact, doctors suggest that India may become the osteoarthritis capital of the world with over 60 million cases by 2025.

Thus, marking the importance of this day, students of Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA) visited Red Cross School For Deaf in Jalandhar with their mentor Dr Neeraj Katyal, Head of Department of Physiotherapy. Dr Katyal said, “The worst poverty isn’t about having enough money to survive. Real poverty is when there is no one in the world who loves you. When there is no other human to make you feel like you matter. And this is one of the worst things an individual can be deprived of. So, on this Physiotherapy Day, we decided to fill colours in the lives of those underprivileged people as well as sensitise our would-be doctors about them. This was a great learning experience for the students.’’

The students spent the entire day at the school and distributed sweets, stationery items, and clothes there. 

Prishi, a 4th-year student at ACFA said, “It was indeed a delightful experience with the children. The way they were receiving the items with so much of happiness and a smiling face, was wonderful. And the way they thanked us in their own sign language, literally made our day. It just created such a festive ambience. We learnt a lot and came back motivated. Our perspectives totally changed after we went to Red Cross School and old age home.”

Further, another student Aditya shared, “Overall, it was the moment of happiness and sorrow at the same time. We felt elated that we did something meaningful towards humanity and contributed to this noble cause by donating winter clothes, food and talked to them to share a laugh or two. We came back with a heavy heart after witnessing the abysmal condition of those unprivileged people but we pledged to better the lives of all those in need.”

Dr Neerja Dhingra, Principal of ACFA said, “Our goal is to make the students sensitive towards the underprivileged and empathise with them. She also added, “At ACFA, we aim to make our students not only able, expert and successful in their respective fields but also to make them a good human being and a responsible citizen.”

She appreciated the faculty members of Department of Physiotherapy for successfully inculcating such values and sensitising the students about the vital role they will be playing in the society as a doctor in near future.