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World Autism Awareness Day
Trauma centres in shock
Assan may soon turn into anglers’ paradise
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Leopard attacks 6-yr-old girl
Nehru Foundation, Seva Samiti
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World Autism Awareness Day
Dehradun, April 2 In it’s more serious form, it can impair social interaction and communication.
The problem of autism, a development disorder in children, is growing in the state. So much so that every school is feared to have at least one autistic child, if not more.
In the absence of awareness and trained psychologists, the problem remains undetected. Experts are fed up with the the government that refuses to recognise the problem and not even consider it as a disability (autism does not figure in the Physical Disability Act (PDA). Social activists turned out in large numbers on World Autism Awareness Day today at a rally at Gandhi Park.The United General Assembly has declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. Children suffering from autism have impaired social interaction; their actions and activities may be often repetitive and restrictive. Piyo Lall, head, special education, Raphael Ryder Cheshire International Centre, emphasised that autism can be tackled better if schools begin catering to autistic children. “As the Physical disability Act does not mention autism, the children are denied a disability certificate. In that sense they are at a disadvantage,” she explained. It may be mentioned that the national trust for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities has appointed Raphael as its State Nodal Agency Centre (SNAC). Uttarakhand has only recently begun focusing on schools for the mentally challenged with schools proposed at Pithoragarh and Haridwar. To treat children, parents should be cooperative. The children have to be handled by special educators along with speech therapists. Experts say if detected early, an autistic child can respond to treatment and can hope for better adjustment in society. “As things stand today, one out of 130 children is autistic. Special education experts attribute it to environmental and other factors as well as genetic pre-disposition. The intellectually challenged children often do not have schools and the right environment at home. It is here that special schools and learning centers can be of help. They can enable children to adjust better to environment,” said Saswati Singh, founder of Inspiration that conducts programmes for children with autism. At this centre, the children are given diet therapy and alternative therapies to control impulsiveness and aggression and later training in self-help and life skills. The Central Government has started Nirmalya Health Insurance Plan. The scheme is being implemented in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand.The plan is for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities so that they can get quality medical services. It is a cashless scheme. The individual under the plan need not pay anything for the services offered if admitted to hospital with expenses covered up to Rs 1 lakh. It also covers OPD services. The premium on the insurance schemes is paid by the national trust for the below poverty line persons. Those above the poverty line can also avail this facility by paying a premium. To treat autistic children, parents should insist on inclusive education. Jo Chopra, founder of Karuna Vihar, emphasised on the need for making autistic children independent so that they can adapt to societal needs. “People with a disability do not want to be treated as passive with no choices but want to be part of community. After attending to their needs, the next step should be making them independent,” she said. On a visit to Doon recently, Poonam Natrajan, chairperson, national trust for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities, interacting with parents and social activists, had emphasised that the disability medical model, that said the disabled needed separate medical care, was being discarded for a social model. The latter, she explained, advocated giving opportunities to them alongside looking after their special needs so that they could lead independent lives. Social activists say social therapies started early have proved to be useful in certain cases of autism. “In some cases children who cannot synthesise large protein remain in a dazed state. High levels of metal like mercury and lead in children affect the functioning of their brain. Diet therapy at our centre helps such children get over the problem,” said Saswati Singh.
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Trauma centres in shock
As many as six trauma centres were to be set up - one each at Doon Hospital, Base Hospital, Srinagar, District Hospital, Gopeshwar, Base Hospital, Almora, Combined Hospital, Roorkee and District Hospital, Pithoragarh. A total of Rs 100 crore was sanctioned for them. Out of these, only the centres at Doon Hospital and Base Hospital, Srinagar, are functional. Work has not yet started at the remaining centres. Though built on the lines of a multi-speciality centre, the trauma centre at Doon Hospital is not equipped with neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons and radiologists. “We need doctors specifically assigned to man the centres 24 hours a day but the problem of man power is endemic in the state,” said Dr PL Joshi, director, general health. In terms of emergency services, the health department is operating the 108 emergency ambulance services but has failed to equip the trauma centre. To improve emergency care surveillance and trauma-related management, the Uttarakhand Health Systems Development project while undertaking a study in 2007 had recommended setting up of trauma centres. It had also suggested capacity building of villages who are in the vicinity and generally respond first. They need to be trained in rescue and basic life support. “The centre at Doon Hospital is not a complete multi-speciality centre. It does not have a plastic surgeon and radiologist which in accident cases is of utmost necessity,” said Dr PC Kapri, senior radiologist at the hospital. With the number of deaths due to road accidents witnessing a drastic increase of 25 per cent in the past three years, the Uttarakhand government had recommended setting up of such emergency centres which would immediately send medical teams. As per the latest data compiled by the state police, as many as 1,073 persons lost their lives in road accidents in 2008.
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Assan may soon turn into anglers’ paradise
Dehradun, April 2 The state fisheries directorate has forwarded a proposal in this regard to the government. As a joint initiative of irrigation, tourism and fisheries departments, the proposal calls for promoting the sport at Assan as it abounds in the population of the famous game fish - ‘Mahaseer’. The fish is found till Son river, towards Pauri, Banswara in Chamoli and Barkot, near Uttarakashi. Development of the sport at Assan can help increase the tourism potential of the place that is already known as a haven for migratory birds. The catch from angling is usually expensive, as non-vegetarian stuff used as bait is costly. Any catch up to 5 kg can be carried away by the participant after making a payment, while the rest is kept by the fisheries department for sale. “Introducing angling at Assan will definitely give a new dimension to this tourist destination,” said H Chauhan, a fisheries department official. Meanwhile, the state focus paper 2009-10 presented by NABARD calls for identifying angling sites in Kumaon and Garhwal to promote the sport. It also suggests that the fisheries department should come up with more infrastructure for anglers.
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Leopard attacks 6-yr-old girl
Dehradun, April 2 The victim, Anita, was playing atop her house in Ujepapiya village when the wild Hearing her cries, Puran Singh, her father, rushed to the scene of the incident where he was aghast to see a leopard holding his daughter by the mouth. He pulled the hind legs of the leopard to save his daughter following which the wildcat was forced the free Anita from its grip.
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Nehru Foundation, Seva Samiti hold dharna
Dehradun, April 2 Members of both committees appealed to the MDDA authorities to act judiciously for the sake of animals in distress, whose lives are at stake, due to carelessness on the part of the MDDA authorities and State Animal Husbandry Minister. The agitated members of NF-OYD and Gokul Seva Samiti said that in case, their demands are met they will protest at a massive scale.
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Dehradun, April 2