The Voluntary Health Services (VHS) has launched a state-of-the-art centre, VHS-Samhita, for the rehabilitation of children with development delays and disabilities.
The project was funded by Cholamandalam Finance, while the Rotary Club of Madras Metro helped in the renovation of a 50-year-old building in which the rehabilitation centre has been established.
Occupation, speech and physiotherapy will be offered at the centre, said S. Suresh, secretary of the VHS and chairman of Tiara, one of the partners in the project. “There is strong evidence to say that foetuses growth-restricted in utero have higher chances of developing neurodevelopmental issues. This means almost every child will require a simple neurodevelopment test at the age of two years to ensure early intervention. This is the reason why the VHS decided to join hands with Tiara and the Fetal Care Research Foundation (FCRC),” Mr. Suresh said.
J. Radhakrishnan, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, who commissioned the facility, said it was remarkable of the VHS to come forward and offer assistance to children with development disabilities, adding that enhanced awareness has brought the need of such rehabilitation centres to the fore.
Mr. Radhakrishnan called on non-governmental organisations to fight cynicism and extend support to the government to help improve facilities for the public.
Sujatha Jagadeesh, consultant geneticist, FCRC, said the idea behind the project was to offer one-point care for children with development disabilities. “80% of the 7,000 disorders in the world are genetic and 50% of them are diagnosed in children; curative treatment is available for only 5% of the diseases. We will make a difference to improve the lives of these children,” said Ms. Sujatha.
Aparna Guhan Shyam, founder of Tiara, said the VHS has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) to conduct research and provide assistive devices for the children. The centre facilitiates health equity, she said, adding that it would make access to health care easier for the children.
Justin Vijay Jesudas, paralympic swimmer and chief operating officer of R2D2, IITM, and Ramana Shetty of the Rotary Club of Madras Metro spoke at the launch function.
