Pakistan Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences Islamabad
Over the past many thousands of years the human being has been involved in making efforts for an ever improving life style. These efforts have led to an overall improved quality of life of mankind. Such efforts have also led to acquisition of ever expanding objective knowledge about variety of processes and situations.
This wealth of objective knowledge has enhanced our understanding about numerous physical, chemical and biological phenomena and concepts. With ever increasing awareness there are well established and also ever changing / evolving standards of ethics and moral values. It is the result of such understanding that human being, today, considers, and also understands, that the variety of physical impairments of the human being are primarily the result of complex biological and environmental processes rather than any kind of social values. This understanding has led many individuals and groups of individuals to concentrate their efforts for empowering those who possess one or the other kind of biological imperfection caused by complex processes of pre-natal development and/or natural disasters / accidents during the life time. Such conscious and aware people / groups of people are constantly involved in making efforts for empowering such people across the globe for independent, self sustainable and quality life.
Similar efforts by a group of people in Pakistan planned to make efforts in the same direction and have set up the group under the banner of Comprehensive Health and Education Forum (CHEF), International. After extensive efforts and in collaboration with the Isra University, Pakistan Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (PIRS) has been established at the Islamabad Campus of the Isra University. The prime goal of the PIRS is to produce trained and knowledgeable human resource for serving that population of the society which has inherited vision, speech, mental, or any other physical disorder/ impairment / disability. Thus PIRS has a major role to play for rehabilitation of this section of the population in our society for enabling them to live with dignity, self respect, productive contribution to the society at large and enjoying a quality life, too. On 25th Nov 2007, a National meeting was sponsored by CHEF International.
It was attended by representatives of all Provincial Governments, National and International NGOs working in the field of cross disability. During this meeting it was recommended that an ‘Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation’ be established with a mandate to develop human resources that would meet the service-needs of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) at the District level. Therefore, pave the way towards mainstreaming disability in an inclusive society. Subsequent to this recommendation, the establishment of ‘Pakistan Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences’ (PIRS) at the Isra University, Islamabad Campus, in collaboration with the CHEF International is a major achievement towards service to the Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). The main objective of PIRS is to enable and empower persons with disabilities to live independently, as fully as possible. Mandate of the Institute is to develop professionals fully competent in utilizing selected skills and knowledge in organizing and directing programs for the care and empowerment of individuals whose ability to function is impaired or threatened by disease or injury.
The PIRS has been established as a constituent institution of the Isra University, Hyderabad, at its Islamabad Campus. The immediate plan is to start academic cum training programs related to Vision Science. However, in near future the efforts at PIRS are expected to expand to mental, overall eye care, and speech and physiotherapy.