Communique issued at the end of the August Ordinary General Meeting of NSP

Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy NSP,  the umbrella professional body of all Physiotherapists in Nigeria, founded on 29th August, 1959 had its 63rd ordinary general meeting OGM on Thursday, 25th August 2022 at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.

This year’s ordinary general meeting OGM was robust, the epic gathering was declared open by NSP President, Dr Nnenna Nina Chigbo, PT and featured the Pa C. A. Ajao’s  lecture series with the topic Nigerian Health Sector Reforms and Rehabilitation: Issues and Opportunities by Dr Taiwo Oyewumi, PT. The NSP past president concluded the lecture with a call for action on but not limited to inclusion of medical rehabilitation in the health care system in Nigeria, inclusion and involvement of medical rehabilitation practitioners as part of policy makers in Nigeria healthcare system.

The OGM after robust, meaningful and critical deliberations resolved as follows:

1• UPWARD REVIEW OF LICENSE AND REGISTRATION FEES.
The OGM maintains that due process was not followed in the upward review of licensing and other fees by the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria MRTBN. The increments are unwarranted and will cause undue hardship to our already suffering membership which makes up over 90% of the board registrants. It was also established that the board failed to consult NSP and other relevant stakeholders before implementing the new fees, therefore, NSP is strongly in disagreement with the decision of the board and demands that status quo be maintained until further notice. The board is implored to join NSP in seeking ways of improving the welfare of registrants.

2. CONFERENCE HOSTING: It is confirmed that all is set by Enugu state chapter of NSP to host this year’s conference and AGM on Sunday 9th – Saturday 15th October, 2022. The Ekiti state chapter received hosting rights for the 2023 NSP conference and annual general meeting AGM.

3. BRAIN DRAIN:
It was established that it is the prerogative of members to choose location for professional practice and development. The Medical Rehabilitation Therapist Board Nigeria has this year alone provided verification letters to 1513 physiotherapists to obtain practicing license in the United Kingdom while many more are off to UAE, KSA, Canada and Australia. This is out of the 7000 trained physiotherapists in Nigeria with about 50% already outside the country before now. NSP therefore behoves the government to increasingly employ physiotherapists to replace those leaving in order to prevent further compromise on the quality of healthcare to Nigerians, relieve burden on physiotherapists in Nigeria and retain experienced hands