MALAPPURAM: Bringing hope to lives of close to one lakh children with disabilities in the district, the department of psychology at the Calicut University has launched specialised clinics under its Community Disability Management and Rehabilitation Programme. The two community clinics set up in Anakkayam and Karuvarakundu panchayats, Malappuram, with the support of civic bodies cater to the needs of around 400 children with various disabilities.
The clinics offer completely free service of a clinical psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and special educators. As part of the programme, health minister K.K. Shylaja will inaugurate an Advanced Disability Management Centre (ADMC) at the university on Thursday.
“The ADMC will be one of the most advanced research, training and treatment centre in the state for mental retardation, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism and developmental disabilities,” said Dr Raheemudheen, its joint director. The project is funded by the department of social justice.
The latest survey by Kerala Social Security Mission, an agency of the social justice department, the district has 96,447 children with various disabilities, the highest in the state. Kozhikode came second with 78,548. “The programme is meant to cover all the population in these two districts. The third community clinic will soon be opened in the Chemanchery panchayat in Kozhikode,” he said.
The ADMC has trained more than 600 Anganwadi workers to identify children with disabilities throughout the district. More than 600 children with various kinds of disabilities are undergoing treatment at these three clinics. The clinic at the university is open on all working days.
