Abstract
This paper reports the current status of physical therapy in Indonesia. There are approximately 1,500 physical therapists in Indonesia. Many of them practice "home visit physical therapy" in addition to working in hospitals, and some operate private clinics owing to the lack of official control over private physical therapy and treatment. The Indonesian Physical Therapy Association, which was established in 1968, coordinates a radio programme as a means of promoting physical therapy among the public. Among the 5.5 milion Indonesians with disabilities, 27% are physically disabled. Within physical therapy, physical methods such as thermotherapy are used much more frequently than therapeutic exercise. The education of physical therapy assistants was initiated in 1956. Education of physical therapists, to a level three diploma, was initiated in 1964. Indonesia currently has three government and five private physical therapy academies, the majority of which were established in the late 198O_s. Physical therapy is a popular choice among Indonesian high school students, with as many as seven times the number of students writing the entrance examination each year as there are positions. Three of Indonesia's physical therapists hold Master of Science degrees (MS_c), but none has a PhD.
