CHENNAI: Five-year-old Karthiga V waves at us excitedly. She and her friends are warming up for the day’s activities. We’re welcomed by peals of laughter punctuated with high-pitched sobs at Sei Sanjeevani Cerebral Palsy Centre — a unit of Justice Ganesan Vijayambigai Medival Trust. The 826 sq ft with colurful murals by artist Alamelu Annhamalai is located on the ground floor of the Prem Vihar building next to Lady Andal School on Harrington Road.
Started in the first week of December 2019, the place is managed by a core team of Vijaya Ravi, CEO; Dr Feroz Khan, rehab specialist in-charge; Dr S Ravi Subramaniam, orthopedic surgeon; and VR Sukumaran, advisor. “Awareness about cerebral palsy and its prolonged therapy is lacking among parents. The treatment is expensive, thereby forcing many parents to discontinue rehabilitation, compromising the child’s mobility. This space was given to us by The Madras Seva Sadan free of cost to ensure we give free treatment to kids, from birth to 16 years, from all backgrounds,” says Vijaya. The centre will be officially launched on Saturday.
What started with two kids now has 35 children who come for daily therapy sessions along with their parents. Four trained therapists along with Dr Feroz sketch out different intervention plans for each kid based on the extent of cerebral palsy — spastic, athetoid, ataxia and mixed type. Therapists feel that this space gives them the freedom to work independently upon instructions from the doctor in-charge. “We first encourage and sensitise parents on the condition. Diagnosis happens after we analyse the kid’s family history. A centre like this gives the child a sense of belongingness. Working with parents and kids simultaneously gives us satisfaction and that’s what makes this field special. It’s not just another therapy but improves the kid’s quality of living,” shares Sarita, a senior therapist.
In India, three children out of every 1,000 live births develop cerebral palsy. It results in musculoskeletal disabilities ranging from mild to severe. “Fifty per cent of the kids have no intellectual disabilities making them as smart as anybody else. Awareness and access to hi-quality rehabilitation are a must. This space can host eight kids at a time. Schedules are given to ensure there’s equal importance for every child,” explains Vijaya The main aim of the centre is to enable children with cerebral palsy to join the mainstream school. The team wants to bring in advanced machines such as robotics and TheraSuit to make the treatment more efficient.
“Parents want their children to be cured soon so they go to any extent without thinking and fall in the trap of unsolicited advice from people. The best way to help your child is to sit by their side and be there throughout the session,” says Sundar P, a parent. Address: Prem Vihar Building, Madras Seva Sadan 7, Harrington Road, Chetpet. For details, mail to seisanjeevani@gmail.com
At the centre
The kids are given occupational therapy using simple games to improve precision, hand-eye coordination and dexterity. They also follow a set of exercises to enable motor and sensory development. Parents observe their wards’ progress closely to learn more about the condition and to ensure similar training is provided at home.