KMU Observed World OT Day with the theme Improving world health and wellbeing
The first World Occupational Therapy (OT) Day was observed on October 27, 2010. Since then, it’s become an important date in the allied health calendar to promote and celebrate occupational therapy as a profession. The goal of World OT day is to increase the visibility of occupational therapists around the world. This includes educating the general public on what OTs do, as well as promoting the mission and goals of occupational therapy itself. The theme for this year is “Improving world health and wellbeing”.
In this connection Khyber Medical University (KMU) Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (IPM&R) Peshawar in collaboration with Paraplegic Centre Hayatabad also marked world OT day by arranging a seminar followed by a walk at the main university campus. Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid Vice Chancellor KMU was the chief guest of the event whereas, besides a huge number of students, Director IPM&R Dr. Haider Darain, Dean Public Health Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq, Dr. Nazish, Dr. Zunaira, staff from Paraplegic Centre Peshawar and faculty of IPM&R were also present at the occasion.
While talking to the seminar Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid VC KMU said that Occupational Therapy is a very rewarding and respectable career for those who would like to help people living with disabilities. The increasing number of people with disabilities is demanding reasonably good quality of life and this is possible only when health care practitioners and society have general understanding of the field of OT and role of its integral multidisciplinary team members. World Occupational Therapy Day is the opportunity to heighten the visibility of the profession’s development work and to promote the activities related to OT locally, nationally, and internationally, he added.
Prof. Dr. Arshad Javaid shared that with appropriate multidisciplinary rehabilitation services, the majority of people with disabilities can become functional independent members of society. The field of OT is relatively young and growing in our country which really need support of the relevant government bodies. KMU recognizes the increasing need for occupational therapists therefore after strengthening 5 year DPT program under the umbrella of KMU-IPM&R, we started first time in the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4 years BS OT and Speech & Language Pathology programs.
