Amman, Sept. 13 (Petra) - President of the Jordanian Physiotherapy Society Nedal Abu Salim warned on Sunday against unlicensed and unqualified individuals practicing physical therapy.

Abu Salim told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that government agencies, media outlets, and professional bodies must unite to tighten oversight and penalize illegal health practices.

He stressed that physical therapy is a specialized healthcare field requiring academic training and legal licensing, rather than random exercises or device usage. Unqualified individuals lack critical clinical knowledge, which poses severe risks to patients suffering from spinal injuries, strokes, neurological conditions, fractures, osteoporosis, or post-surgical complications. Mismanagement often exacerbates injuries, prolongs recovery, and inflates treatment costs before patients reach legitimate specialists.

Abu Salim noted that patient harm caused by impostors undermines public trust in Jordan’s broader healthcare sector. He called for stiffer legal penalties for impersonating medical professionals or practicing without a license, including shutting down non-compliant facilities, banning unauthorized health advertisements, and establishing a fast-track mechanism for reporting violations.

Expressing readiness to offer technical support to enforcement committees, Abu Salim hailed continuous efforts by the health and interior ministries to enforce the law.

He urged the public to verify practitioners' credentials before receiving treatment, adding that patient health "must never be compromised." //Petra// HA