The HKMU Physiotherapy Centre was unveiled on 1 December 2022 at a ceremony officiated by Council Chairman Ir Dr Conrad Wong and President Prof. Paul Lam. The Centre is now in service, providing professional physiotherapy treatment for members of the HKMU community and the general public, as well as clinical learning opportunities for our physiotherapy students.
Equipped with advanced therapeutic devices, the HKMU Physiotherapy Centre offers patient-oriented and high quality clinical physiotherapy services. In addition to providing the best professional treatment and care for patients, the Centre also conducts multifaceted personnel training to promote community health services, exchange of knowledge in physiotherapy research and studies, and assist physiotherapy students in their clinical training. It simultaneously provides specialised physiotherapy programmes in such areas as obstetrics and gynaecology, breast cancer-related lymphoedema, and post-Covid-19 recovery exercise training. Located on the ground floor of the Jockey Club Campus, the Centre is expected to conduct about 3,000 treatment sessions annually.
The Centre provides a full range of physiotherapy services, including the following:
Musculoskeletal physiotherapy
Neurological rehabilitation
Sport injury physiotherapy
Chronic pain management
Post-operative rehabilitation
Foot biomechanics assessment
Workplace ergonomics assessment
Telerehabilitation
Early screening and management for
breast cancer-related lymphoedema
Pelvic health physiotherapy
Balance and gait retraining with exoskeleton device
Clinical Pilates
Post Covid-19 pulmonary rehabilitation physiotherapy
In view of the great demand for physiotherapists due to the city's ageing population and changing lifestyles, the University launched the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Physiotherapy programme in the 2020–21 academic year, becoming the first self-financing university in Hong Kong to offer a degree programme in this discipline. 'Adopting small-class teaching, this four-year programme incorporates the concept of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) promulgated by the World Health Organization to provide students with a solid theoretical knowledge foundation,' says Prof. William Tsang, Associate Dean (Development and Strategic Relationships) of the School of Nursing and Health Studies and Director of the HKMU Physiotherapy Centre. 'At the same time, students will be able to translate their knowledge into practice with over 1,000 hours of clinical placement in hospitals, clinics, NGOs and community-based settings. The HKMU Physiotherapy Centre is the ideal place for our students to hone their clinical skills.'
Prof. Tsang continues, 'The University's application for professional accreditation from the Hong Kong Physiotherapists Board is in good progress. The first batch of graduates are expected to obtain the relevant accreditation when they graduate in 2024 and be qualified to practise as registered physiotherapists.'
Based in the Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare, the hub of healthcare education at HKMU, the Department of Physiotherapy has set up several designated laboratories with advanced facilities and equipment, namely:
Furthermore, cutting-edge technology such as a web-based resource hub, simulation experience and digital dissection pedagogy are applied to facilitate teaching and learning. These facilities and resources also support the services of the Physiotherapy Centre to build synergy.
In order to encourage young people who aspire to become physiotherapists to join the industry and serve the community, entrance scholarships of HK$88,000 will be granted to new physiotherapy students whose summation score of four HKDSE core subjects plus one best elective subject is 22 or above. Students who attain 5* or 5** in any HKDSE subject and are admitted to an HKMU degree programme through JUPAS will also be awarded HKDSE star scholarships of HK$40,000 for each qualified subject. In addition, the physiotherapy programme has been included in the Government's Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors, and students can receive a maximum of about HK$77,000 tuition subsidy from the Government.
