Parul University Goa and the Directorate of Health Services open physiotherapy and rehabilitation centres across Goa

The initiative added physiotherapy clinics to three public healthcare facilities:

Centre	Location
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic, South Goa District Hospital	Margao
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic, Primary Health Center	Balli
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic, Community Health Center	Canacona

The main idea is the placement. Instead of constructing separate clinics, the program is planning to organize rehabilitation services within the existing hospitals and health centers. It is critical for the patients who have an injury, a disease, or some problems with their movement and those who need to restore their functional abilities. In that case, they will not need to go to another institution.

The tie-up pairs Parul University Goa with the state's own health administration. The ceremony drew senior officials from both sides:

Name	Role
Shri Yatindra M. Maralkar	Secretary of Health, Government of Goa
Dr. Saleena Naik	Director of Health Services, Goa
Dr. Devanshu Patel	Director, Parul Education Foundation
Dr. Lalit Lata Jha	Vice Chancellor, Parul University Goa
Dr. Rajendra Borkar	Medical Superintendent, South Goa District Hospital
Dr. Aseem Yadav	Dean, Parul College of Physiotherapy
Dr. Anupam Kumar	Dean, Parul College of Applied and Health Sciences
Dr. Jeyalakshmi K	Dean, Parul College of Nursing

Dr. Devanshu Patel, Director of the Parul Education Foundation, set out what the partnership is for.
Healthcare is truly meaningful only when its benefits reach the people who need them the most. We are working with the Directorate of Health Services, Goa to improve the availability of physiotherapy and rehabilitation services in public healthcare facilities, so that these services are more accessible to the local communities. This initiative also reflects our commitment to closing the gap between academic expertise and practical healthcare needs, and offers a platform for future healthcare professionals to serve society through meaningful work.

The ceremony was not only for officials. More than 350 Parul University Goa students, from Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Applied and Health Sciences, took part and took an oath committing to carry the responsibility into their everyday practice.

For some, it was a first close look at public healthcare. Saanvi Maralkar, a first-year Physiotherapy student, said the experience changed how she saw the work. Being a part of this initiative helped me to realize how important it is for healthcare services to reach the people who need them. It was a good experience to see how physiotherapy and rehabilitation can help patients to recover and improve their lives.

Shivraj Kodalkar, also from Physiotherapy, drew a wider lesson.
This initiative gave us a chance to see public healthcare from a closer perspective. It was a reminder that being a healthcare professional of the future is not simply about treating patients, but recognizing their needs, working together and helping to make quality care accessible to more people.

Accessibility to rehabilitation services is uneven in many parts of the state, and a physiotherapy service housed within a district hospital, primary health centre, and a community health centre is a practical solution to this scenario. This arrangement would provide the university with an opportunity to engage students in clinical settings outside their teaching clinic, while working clinicians interact with them on a regular basis. Both partners have stated their intent to improve accessibility to rehabilitation services in Goa and raise the profile of physiotherapy as a part of patient care.

SOURCE AND CONTEXT. Based on the Parul University Goa press release on the inauguration of physiotherapy and rehabilitation centres with the Directorate of Health Services, Goa, October 2026. Quotations are reproduced as given in the release.

Parul University Goa: goa.paruluniversity.ac.in

• Parul University Goa Host partner; Goa campus of Parul University • Directorate of Health Services, Goa State health administration; partner • Dr. Devanshu Patel Director, Parul Education Foundation • Dr. Saleena Naik Director of Health Services, Goa • Dr. Lalit Lata Jha Vice Chancellor, Parul University Goa