Bengaluru, March 12 (IANS). The Congress government in Karnataka on Thursday announced that District Early Intervention Centers (DEICs) will be set up under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) in all the districts of the state by next year for the benefit of specially-abled children.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao made this announcement in response to a question raised by Congress MLA Prakash Koliwad in the Assembly.
The Minister informed that the objective of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) program is to ensure early detection and timely treatment of disabilities and health problems in children. Under this, DEIC centers are set up, where children suffering from developmental delays and other health problems are identified and treated early.
He said that specialists like paediatricians, staff nurses, cardiologists and ophthalmologists would be available in these centres, while psychologists would also be deployed in some centres, so that children could get special support.
The Minister said that at present 17 DEIC centers are operating in the state and a new center will soon be started in Koppal. “The government has decided that these centers will be set up in all the districts of the state. Identification and treatment of health problems at an early age has a huge positive impact on the future of children,” he said.
Raising the issue, MLA Prakash Koliwad stressed the importance of DEIC centers and said that there is a huge gap between the estimated number of disabled children in the state and the registered cases.
He said that according to a survey, about 6.3 percent children in the state are disabled, but only 137 children are registered in his Ranibennur assembly constituency, whereas according to estimates there should be around 18,000 disabled children in the taluk.
Koliwad also informed that at present there is no DEIC center in Haveri district and the proposal to establish one has not been approved yet.
He said that in the absence of such centres, many children, especially from poor families, do not get medical help and in many cases they have been seen struggling on the streets.
The MLA also said that his own daughter is disabled and described the area as neglected. He demanded the government to approve the DEIC center in Haveri district as soon as possible.
He also said that thousands of children have been identified under the RBSK programme, but they have to travel to cities like Hubballi, Mangaluru and Shivamogga for treatment.
Koliwad also demanded starting tele-therapy and tele-counselling services at taluk level and bringing disabled children under digital tracking system. He said that this will help the government to identify their needs and provide them the necessary support, so that the future generations can become healthier.
–IANS
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