[ISS-01-7] Challenges and Current Issues for the Macau Physical Therapy Profession
2013 saw the establishment of the Council for Medical Affairs by the Macau government, which will oversee the reform of the current registration system of fifteen different healthcare professions including those of physical therapists. The Council is made up of 43 appointed members from different healthcare fields including medical doctors, dentists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, pharmacists, allied health professionals and nurses, etc. To assist with the Council’s plan on regulating the profession, Macau Physical Therapy Association（MPTA）has attended numerous meetings with the Council’s Allied Health Professionals subgroup and has submitted position statements on：registration categories and requirements, professional competency examination and internship assessment period, scope of practice, code of ethics, and continuing professional development requirements.
Tentatively, the Council has agreed that physical therapy entry-level degree holders who are currently registered with the Health Bureau’s Licensing Department or are working within the public sector, such as Health Bureau, Social Welfare Bureau, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau and Macau Sports Development Board, can be grandfathered to be registered physical therapists when the new professional certification requirements are rolled out in the future. Physical therapists that are grandfathered will be exempted from a professional competency examination and internship assessment period of one year in duration. In addition, MPTA is advocating to the Council for direct access to physical therapy and the inclusion of acupuncture into our scope of practice. It is our hope that, with professional certification and regulation, professional competency and standards can be maintained, while the public’s interest will be protected when receiving physical therapy.
Another challenge for the profession involves the Social Welfare Bureau’s plan on employing overseas physical therapists to work in government-funded nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, which have been experiencing difficulty recruiting and retaining therapists due to poor remuneration and lack of career advancement. As there is no school of physical therapy in Macau, all physical therapists working in Macau obtained their training overseas. Many physical therapy students studying aboard had enquired about the Bureau’s announcement, worrying that it may affect their job prospects in Macau. MPTA urges the government to consider the concerns of graduates returning to Macau in the near future and to observe licensing and qualification requirements when employing therapists.
Tentatively, the Council has agreed that physical therapy entry-level degree holders who are currently registered with the Health Bureau’s Licensing Department or are working within the public sector, such as Health Bureau, Social Welfare Bureau, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau and Macau Sports Development Board, can be grandfathered to be registered physical therapists when the new professional certification requirements are rolled out in the future. Physical therapists that are grandfathered will be exempted from a professional competency examination and internship assessment period of one year in duration. In addition, MPTA is advocating to the Council for direct access to physical therapy and the inclusion of acupuncture into our scope of practice. It is our hope that, with professional certification and regulation, professional competency and standards can be maintained, while the public’s interest will be protected when receiving physical therapy.
Another challenge for the profession involves the Social Welfare Bureau’s plan on employing overseas physical therapists to work in government-funded nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, which have been experiencing difficulty recruiting and retaining therapists due to poor remuneration and lack of career advancement. As there is no school of physical therapy in Macau, all physical therapists working in Macau obtained their training overseas. Many physical therapy students studying aboard had enquired about the Bureau’s announcement, worrying that it may affect their job prospects in Macau. MPTA urges the government to consider the concerns of graduates returning to Macau in the near future and to observe licensing and qualification requirements when employing therapists.