Participants have the opportunity to work on a variety of body parts. Interns will be supervised by the lead physical therapist. A primary physician is also present at the site and consultants/physicians visit weekly to monitor patient progress. Participants have the opportunity to interact and gain knowledge from all these health professionals by completing this physiotherapy and kinesiology internship in Sri Lanka.

Like all of our nursing and medical internship programs abroad, this project in Sri Lanka allows students to gain university credits while acquiring field experience and contributing to the UN’s goal of universal access to healthcare.

We work with the Maliban Rehabilitation Clinic (a unit of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital), which is part of the public health system in Sri Lanka. It is an intimate clinic (20 beds) specialized in physiotherapy, rehabilitation and occupational therapy. It is independently run, but is part of the largest public hospital system in the southern province of Sri Lanka and the third largest hospital in the country.

Clinic hours for the physical therapy practicum are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, with time off for lunch. Each day is divided into 2 sessions – morning and afternoon. Participants have some flexibility in choosing the number of hours they work. They can choose to work on one or two sessions per day. Participants in the physical therapy internship are expected to work a minimum of 15-20 hours per week, with a maximum of 35-40 hours per week.

The current capacity is 3 students maximum per session. It is possible to host 2 sessions per day (morning + afternoon), for a total of 6 students per day. Capacity is expected to increase significantly from mid-2022.

A typical day in the physical therapy internship:

8:00-9:00 am: The medical officer will do the daily rounds of the department. The goal is to confirm if patients are fit enough for today’s physical therapy session.

Participants can join the visit and discuss the patient’s condition with the doctor.

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.: Patients who have been cleared by the doctor will be transferred to the physical therapy unit.

Participants can assist nursing and support staff with patient transfers.

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: These sessions usually begin with a discussion with patients about their disease, monitoring their management plan and tracking their improvements. As a result, various physiotherapy sessions are conducted under the supervision of the head physiotherapist. Participants can join the discussion with the patient and the physiotherapist. Most of the time is spent helping patients perform their daily exercises under supervision.

12:00 – 2:00 p.m.: Free time for lunch and a break. This is also the time when they can help patients with activities such as feeding, bathing, dressing, etc.

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.: Physiotherapy session in the afternoon. Under the supervision of the physiotherapist, participants continue to assist patients with their daily exercises, carrying out group activities to support the patient’s mental well-being and other similar activities.

Recommended attire: All participants must wear professional attire while in the hospitals. Nursing students are required to wear a nursing gown. Participants must bring their own clothing and ensure that these guidelines are followed on all days they participate in the project.

No tattoos or body art, or excessive piercing, should be visible during the project. Smoking during working hours on hospital premises is prohibited.