CHENNAI: Medical treatment will henceforth reach severely diffabled kids at their door steps. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday flagged off 31 mobile units (vans) for treating diffabled children at their residences.
This is a first of its kind initiative in the country and the vans have been bought at a cost of `4.49 crore.
Apart from these, she also inaugurated residential quarters for the officers and employees of Government Observation Home in Cuddalore and Government Children Home in Virudhunagar district.
At present, training centres for differently abled children up to six years are functioning in district headquarters. Though concessional bus pass is given to them and their attendants, children with severe disability find it difficult in reaching these centres and as such, they could not avail the full benefits of these facilities. The mobile treatment vans are meant to address this problem. These units would visit the residences of the children and at treat them. Drivers of two units received keys from the Chief Minister at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
These vans are equipped with physiotherapy equipment, speech therapy unit, equipment for testing infants, diagnosing disabilities in the early stage, giving training etc., multi purpose rehabilitation assistants would accompany them. Pamphlets on government schemes for the differently abled, CDs and information guides would also be distributed.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated the `54.75 lakh residential quarters in Cuddalore for the Superintendent, cook, security guard and sanitary workers of the Government Observation Home and the `1.73 crore residential quarters for those working with the Government Children Home at Malliputhur in Virudhunagar district.
Social Welfare Minister B Valarmathi, Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister MC Sampath, Chief Secretary K Gnanadesikan, Advisor to Government, Sheela Balakrishnan and senior officials were present on the occasion.
