Over 500 differently-abled children screened at medical camp

Campaign will go on till July 10 covering all 22 blocks

A medical camp differently-abled children is under way across the district under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s (SSA) Inclusive Education for the differently-abled (IED). So far, more than 500 children have been screened at the medical assessment camps held at four blocks in the district.

According to officials in the Education Department, the camps were launched on June 23, and will go on till July 10 covering all 22 blocks in the district.

On the first day, as many as 135 children were screened at the camp held in Vellore block and 161 children in Tirupattur block.

“The IED camps that were held in Nemili block and Vellore rural on Tuesday covered 165 and 106 differently-abled children respectively. We are screening children aged 0 to 14 years in these camps. Five doctors —orthopaedic, psychiatrist, ENT, ophthalmologist and general medicine —are screening the children,” an official said.

Last year, as many as 3,246 children were screened at the camps organised by SSA, he added.

Education enrolment

Once children are screened at these camps, they are taken into the School Readiness Programme centres in the district, if the parents agree. “There are 22 School Readiness Programme centres in Vellore. Special teachers will take classes for the differently-abled children. There is a physiotherapist in each block, and they visit these centres once every week to provide training,” he added.

Following medical assessment at these camps, children are also provided with the required assistive devices. The official said that the aids are provided through ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India).

The IED camps would be held in the remaining blocks in the coming days, he added.