KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Saturday that his government was committed to providing equal opportunities to the people, including those with disabilities.

He said this during a visit to the Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SIPM&R), which organised an awareness programme.

Speaking on the occasion, he said: “I announce here that my government will provide job opportunities to the persons with disabilities, particularly the amputees who have gone under treatment and rehabilitation process here at SIPM&R.”

The attendees included CM’s Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, Special Assistant to CM on Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Sadiq Memon, Health Secretary Zulfiqar Shah and others.

SIPM&R is the only civilian multidisciplinary rehabilitation facility in country, claims Dr Nabila Soomro

The institute had arranged stalls featuring assistive devices, activities for children as well as interactive sessions where patients and their families shared personal accounts of how SIPM&R’s services helped transform their lives.

“These inspiring accounts instil hope, break down barriers and inspire others to embrace the power of inclusivity and rehabilitation,” the chief minister said.

He said the government realised its prime responsibility of making sure that everybody had the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires.

The institute, he said, was successfully implementing the government’s agenda of inclusivity and empowerment with its highly dedicated faculty and the Awareness Day programme reflected its commitment to improving the lives of people with special needs.

“The bionic arm developed here symbolises a significant breakthrough in assistive technology. With the provision of this state-of-the-art arm to deserving amputees, SIPM&R has reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating independence, restoring dignity, and transforming lives,” he concluded.

Earlier, the chief minister was briefed about the institute’s academic services which included a residency programme in physical medicine and rehabilitation and degree programme in physical therapy, audiology and speech language therapy, occupational therapy and prosthetics & orthotics.

In her speech, SIPM&R Executive Director Dr Nabila Soomro said the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation was relatively young and growing in Pakistan and that the institute was a leading and only civilian multidisciplinary rehabilitation facility in the country.

“An increasing number of people with disabilities are demanding reasonably good quality of life which is only possible when healthcare practitioners and society have a general understanding of the field and the integral role of its practitioners,” she said.

It was the first institute in the province to be accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan for residency training in this specialty, she added.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2023