Amended rules for physiotherapy centers

New hygiene, safety, and area requirements

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) issued a decision amending the technical specifications and conditions needed to open or invest in a physiotherapy center. The MoPH granted already existing physiotherapy centers two years to comply with the new standards.

“Most of the physiotherapy centers exist within hospitals and are thus regulated by the hospital administration. However, independent centers located outside hospitals should follow certain conditions in order to obtain and maintain their accreditation,” said Claude Maroun, President of the Order of Physiotherapists (OPTL). He said the amended decision aims to increase the number and quality of physiotherapy centers in the local market.

Maroun said the decision changed several conditions for such centers, mainly in terms of hygiene and area requirements. The decision stipulates that each physiotherapy center must have an area of at least 52 square meters. It should include a reception and waiting room, an office for physiotherapists, and separate treatment units for individuals and groups. A fire extinguishing system and a first aid kit are also required as part of the new safety measures.

Opening a physiotherapy center requires a license from the MoPH, as well as a practice statement from the OPTL. The Parliament had adopted a law recognizing the practice of physiotherapy in 1978.

Physiotherapy centers are also prohibited from hiring unlicensed personnel. They must declare the names of all physiotherapists they are hiring. There are 1,680 physiotherapists registered at the OPTL in the local market.