Chennai: Kin of paediatric patients and new mothers breathe a sigh of relief after early intervention centres at government hospitals have started to offer specialised treatment services for all physical and mental disorders exclusively for children under one roof.
Early intervention centres have been set up at three government hospitals in the city — Institute of Child Health, Stanley Medical College (SMC) and Hospital and Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) and Hospital. The initiative has seen a good response from patients and attendees of patients, as they do not have to visit specific departments for further treatments after screening at outpatients block.
“We have to arrange a special vehicle to shift my son from one center to other as he has mobility related problems. However, the early intervention centers have eased the process as we only need to visit the outpatient block at Stanley Medical College for all therapies including speech therapy and counselling,” said A Anil, father of a patient at SMC.
Even for Vijaya, it is now easy to take her two-month-old child suffering from intrauterine growth restrictions after birth. “There were many tests and treatment procedures to normalize the child soon after birth and it was difficult to rush through different departments. With these centers at the OP block, new mothers don’t have to hustle to get all the tests done as early intervention centers even do the timely clinical procedures, says Vijaya.
These centres are run at outpatient blocks in the three government hospitals currently, however, a new block for exclusive early intervention centers are under construction at Kilpauk Medical College and Stanley Medical College.
“Currently 20-30 children are being treated on a daily basis at the early intervention centers at Kilapuk Medical College. Various cardiac disorders and intrauterine disorders are being treated in large numbers,” said Dr P. Vasanthamani, dean, KMC.
PWD officials say that the centers will be functional at KMC by next month, while the site has been marked at SMC also and construction is to commence soon.
“Stanley Medical College will also have an exclusive training center for early intervention procedures and an area of around 5,000 sq ft has been identified to construct the training center. The early intervention center at outpatient block sees around 50 children daily as of now,” said Dr Ponnambala Namasivayam, dean, SMC.
The outpatient block at ICH has also been extended to provide early intervention services. The hospital sees more than 100 patients every day who are patients referred from government schools and Anganwadi centers after they are screened by mobile units run by state health department.
Exclusive training centre
Stanley Medical College will also have an exclusive training centre for early intervention procedures
A separate block of early intervention centre at Kilpauk Medical College to turn functional from next month.
Specialized staff deployed at early intervention centres in Institute of Child Health, Stanley Medical College, and Kilpauk Medical College
