Therapists Seek National Policy On Rehabilitation

Members of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria (MRTB) have lamented the lack of a National Policy on Rehabilitation.
They stressed the need for the existence of such a policy and an inter-sectoral approach for the implementation of the Rehabilitation 2030 agenda in Nigeria.
This was contained in a communique, signed by the registrar and chief executive officer (CEO) of MRTB, Prof Rufai Yusuf Ahmad.
It was issued at the end of its stakeholders’ meeting on the implementation of Rehabilitation 2030 tagged: “Raining practice and regulation” in Abuja.

The meeting was convened, among other things, to deliberate about the implementation of Rehabilitation 2030 in Nigeria from the perspective of Training, Practice, and Regulation.
It also created an enabling ground for the collaboration of all stakeholders in achieving success in the implementation of the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 agenda which advocated the development of a strong multi-disciplinary rehabilitation workforce and building a comprehensive rehabilitation services model.
In its resolution, it stated, “There should be a National Policy on Rehabilitation to be facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

“There is the need for review of National Health Financial policies with a view to developing strategies to fund rehabilitation in order to reduce out-of-pocket spending and increased access to Universal Health Coverage.”
The stakeholders noted the lack of strong leadership especially availability of a coordinating unit for rehabilitation citing the absence of leadership as the reason for a lack of consistency in policy and political support for rehabilitation at sub-national and national levels.
They asked for the setting up of the National Technical Working Group on Rehabilitation, which should be domiciled within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

They said the group should be saddled with the responsibility of coordinating rehabilitation policy development and implementation.
“There should be a Directorate of Medical Rehabilitation Services headed by a Medical Rehabilitation expert in the Federal and State Ministries of Health and other Medical Rehabilitation units in relevant agencies that will be responsible for coordinating all rehabilitation issues, including ensuring that rehabilitation receives adequate allocation and organisational funds are properly utilised,” the experts said.