The role and the importance of Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapy on the improvement of physiotherapy profession

By, Feim Gashi PT, Cand PhD

EDITORIAL

The Chambers of Health Professionals in the Republic of Kosovo are independent organizations that present and protect professional interest of its own members, ensure high standards of the Code of Ethics and medical Deontology, promote and protect the activity of health professionals in public and private health institutions, as well as provide continuous professional education with the aim of providing health services and other services that are related with health care, with as high quality as possible. The Chambers of Health Professionals were founded based on the Law No. 04/L-150 Law on Professional Chambers. In total there are 5 Chambers of Health Professionals: Kosovo Doctors Chamber, Kosovo Chamber of Dentists, Kosovo Chamber of Pharmacist, Nurses, and other health professionals.

Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapist was founded in 2015, even though its full competences
were delegated on 1st of January 2018. Until now there are 1020 physiotherapists that have
become members of this Chamber and are licensed from this Chamber. The structure of the chamber consists of the organs of the chamber that includes the Parliament of the Chamber, The Councils, and commissions (temporary and permanent). The Councils of the Chamber are:

• Leading Council of Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapists
• Supervision Council of Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapists
• Ethic Council of Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapists
The Commissions of the Chamber are:
• The Commission of ethic’s matters of the KCHPT
• The Commission of membership, licensing, and re-licensing of Physiotherapists in KCHPT
• The Commission of continuous professional education of Physiotherapists in KCHPTH
• The Commission of Specialized Education of physiotherapists in KCHPTH
• The Commission of Budget and Finance in KCHPTH
• The Commission of Solidarization and Mutual Aid in KCHPT
All chambers of Health Professionals’ work are based on Law and Regulations. In accordance
with them, those chambers own their own list of registration of:
• The register of members of the Chamber
• The register of licenses issued, and licenses revoked from the Chamber
• The register of disciplinary measures imposed on Chamber members

Kosovo Chamber of Physiotherapists – KCHPTH, towards the physiotherapists that have
accomplish the terms and conditions according to Law of Chambers of Health Professionals
provides these services:
• Membership in the Chamber
• License for the proper health profession by the proper Chamber
• Re-licensing
• Organizes trainings for continuous professional education such as congresses,
conferences, workshops, round tables
• Accredits the programs for continuous professional education
• Facsimile Equipment from the Chamber
• Equipment with Identification Card of the Chamber
• Issues a certificate for the ethical professional past
• Issues other certificates based on the request of members of the Chamber (for example
proof that he/she is a member of the Chamber, a member of the assembly, etc.)
The Chamber of the Physiotherapists of Kosovo, in 2019, became a full member of the World Physiotherapy, as well as the World Physiotherapy-Europe Region, where from the same year KCHPT works according to all the rules and standards in accordance with these organizations.
Besides harmonizing all the regulations of the scope of Physiotherapy with the countries of the region, it is also doing the same with Physiotherapy World-Region of Europe, with the main purpose that a physiotherapist licensed in OFTK is equal with all the physiotherapists of the world.
Us, as a Chamber, cooperating with the World Physiotherapy-European Region, through hard work have managed that starting from 2023, in our territory the level of the study will be raised from three-year of the studies to four-year Bachelor study system (240 ECTS). The main purpose of all this was that in this way it will be achieved the minimum Physiotherapy
competencies recommended by World Physiotherapy.
Besides this, our commitment has also been focused for the possibility of the creation of specializations in the field of physiotherapy, as well as the framing of physiotherapeutic services at the primary health level, which is a very big challenge for us, and we remain hopeful that we can achieve it very quickly with European standards.
KCHPT, in addition to creating high standards for physiotherapists, also takes care to offer to patients an easy and innovative approach. Through technology, they can provide information on every licensed physical therapist in the city they live in, so they can have safer services.
The Chamber of Physiotherapists of Kosovo has cooperation with the Chambers of the region and Higher Education Institutions that deal with the field of Physiotherapy, with which we are all open to continuous cooperation for the benefit of this profession.