AIHMSA briefing session

ACUMEN Integrated Healthcare & Movement Science Academy (AIHMSA) recently collaborated with Manipal University of India to allow diploma holders in Physiotherapy to obtain the Bachelor of Physiotherapy. Physiotherapists are specialists dealing with disabling conditions like stroke, sports injuries and post surgical conditions.

A crash course has been designed to deal with bridge subjects. Having the best of Malaysia and India, AIHMSA students would excel not only in clinical practice, but when armed with a degree, they would be able to pursue their Masters and PhD anywhere in the world and return to Malaysia to serve the people of Malaysia.

Malaysia, in achieving the developed nation status by year 2020, needs to prepare its professionals, particularly its healthcare providers, to be at par with those in the developing nations and around the world.

AIHMSA Business Development Director Dharamjit Singh said statistics from the Malaysian Physiotherapy Association (MPA),   highlighted that, in Malaysia:

» There are 157 government hospitals with a work force of 645 physiotherapists, and there are 835 physiotherapy posts vacant.

» There are 209 private hospitals with a work force of 650 physiotherapists.

» There are 100 physiotherapists employed in the NGO sectors and the Ministry of Social Welfare.
» There are 35 private practices with an employment force of about 100 physiotherapists. Almost all these centres prefer to employ degree holders in physiotherapy.

The Health Ministry and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Physiotherapy Curriculum both offer the Bachelor’s programme while many of the private colleges (IPTS) offer only diploma programmes. IPTS, however, are now making efforts to run the Bachelor’s programmes. The only setback in this profession is inadequate clinical placements in Malaysia.

This made AIHMSA  identify a “Top-Up Path Way” for current diploma graduates by working out a formula that is MQA (Malaysian Qualifying Agency, Ministry of Higher Learning) compliant, for these people to acquire a  bachelor’s degree.

AIHMSA and Manipal University had put in a lot of effort to create the intensive 18 months (one year full-time theory and six months of internship) programme in Manipal University, India. The fees are affordable. AIHMSA will be facilitating the admission procedures.

Dharamjit said the market trend consistently shows a mushrooming of health and allied sciences services.

Numerous MOUs are in the pipeline between AIHMSA and providers of various super specialisation techniques in Allied Health Sciences in Australia and America. These specialisations will provide further exposure, particularly in the field of speech therapy, occupational therapy and geriatric care.

Registration is open. Call Dharamjit at (03) 4147 3560 or (012) 396 1967, or visit www.aihmsa.com