First of all, I would like to congratulate Malaysian athletes, namely men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia, for winning bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics for our beloved country.
Their victories are well-deserved and stand as a testament to their relentless effort, dedication, and perseverance.
However, while we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our athletes, it is important to acknowledge the unsung heroes working tirelessly behind the scenes – the physiotherapists.
In Malaysia, physiotherapy is not necessarily a well-known profession, especially among the older generation. A study published in the Journal of Physiotherapy Malaysia in 2021 highlighted that 70 per cent of respondents were unaware of the full range of services provided by physiotherapists.
With many people believing it is limited to sports injuries or rehabilitation post-surgery, rather than recognising its broader applications in chronic pain management, neurological conditions, and preventive care.
Also not known to many Malaysian are that the wages of physiotherapists in Malaysia are generally quite low. According to a survey by Indeed, the average monthly salary for a physiotherapist in Malaysia ranges from RM2,800 to RM3,500.
In comparison, other health care professionals tend to earn significantly more. For instance, Pharmacists earn between RM6,000 to RM7,500 per month, and medical doctors earn between RM8,100 to RM10,000 per month.
This discrepancy can impact job satisfaction and retention within the physiotherapy profession. Moreover, low wages create an unhealthy environment whereby talented individuals might not opt to choose physiotherapy as a profession because of the unattractive wages even if they are interested.
To address the issue of low wages, local health care institutions and organisations could consider providing a pay raise specifically for junior physiotherapists.
A reasonable initial increase could be in the range of RM500 to RM1,000 per month, which would help make the profession more attractive to new graduates and reduce turnover rates.
This increase would also align more closely with the wages of other health care professionals, promoting a fairer compensation structure.
As we acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our athletes, I believe it is equally important not to overlook the contributions of these unsung heroes.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
