In a month’s time, the Government Wenlock Hospital will have an Early Intervention Centre for children suspected for mental illness, cerebral palsy and other birth defects.
The centre will initially start functioning on the Regional Advanced Paediatric Centre (RAPC) premises of the hospital on June 1 and then move to a separate place being prepared for the purpose in the next few weeks.
According to hospital Superintendent H.R. Rajeshwari Devi, the new centre would provide all the necessary support for rehabilitating children suspected with such problems.
The District Early Intervention Centre was being set up from the funds available under the Rashtriya Bala Swasthya Kriya Yojana. The hospital will also pool in resources available under different departments such as the Social Welfare Department and the District Disability Rehabilitation Centre, Dr. Rajeshwari said.
After about two months the centre will be shifted to the main building of the Wenlock Hospital opposite the RAPC.
Paediatrician U.V. Shenoy, who is involved in setting up of the Early Intervention Centre, said the newborns at the Wenlock and Lady Goschen Hospitals have already been checked and treated for hearing and visual defects.
“We will be using techniques and therapies at an early stage and prevent defects noticed at later stages of a child’s life in the new centre,” Dr. Shenoy said.
Dr. Rajeshwari said they had identified 226 children who need early intervention. Apart from specialists at Wenlock and other private hospitals, the centre would be making use of services of organisations such as Chetana Child Development Centre and Saanidhya Residential School for Mentally Challenged.
Dr. Shenoy said they were training anganwadi workers in identifying children who need early intervention.
