Docs vow to empower differently abled
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, December 3
Awareness programmes on International Day of Persons with Disabilities were organised at various hospitals across the city. The theme of the day is “Inclusion Matters: Access and empowerment for people of all abilities”.
Over 150 people with different disabilities and their caregivers attended an awareness programme to mark the day conducted by the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) Department of the Christian Medical College and Hospital.
To rehabilitate people with disability implies courage, commitment, competence, patience and perseverance not only on the part of the rehabilitator, but also on the part of the one being rehabilitated. The number of people with disabilities is increasing day by day due to various reasons, including environmental and social factors.
Director of the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Dr Abraham G Thomas, inaugurated the programme and insisted that each individual had only one life and they should make the most of it. He assured all the support from the CMCH for the betterment of differently abled.
Dr Santhosh Mathangi, Head, PMR Department, conducted free medical check-up, blood check-up and ultrasound of special people. Meanwhile, hearing aids, spectacles and callipers were distributed free of cost to the patients.
Dayanand Medical College and Hospital also organised a medical camp for children with disabilities at Ekjot Viklang Children’s School in BRS Nagar. A total of 75 children with hearing impairment, mental retardation and locomotor disabilities wre examined during the camp.
Dr Deepak Bhat, professor of Paediatrics, examined the children and said: “India has around 12 million children with disabilities. Only 1 per cent of such children have access to school and one-third of most disabilities are preventable. Under nutrition is a severe problem with children who suffer from cerebral palsy.”
The main causes of disability in children are communicable disease, infection in early childhood, early motherhood, nutritional deficiencies and insufficient or inaccessible health care services.
A quiz and rounds of interaction were held at Fortis Hospital. The whole session was followed by a question-answer round. The programme was held under the supervision of Dr Ajay Pal Sandhu, psychiatrist, and Dr Som Gupta, HoD, physiotherapy Department, Fortis Hospital.
Dr Ajay Pal Sandhu said, “If you have a disability or medical condition you are not alone. Many people with disabilities have contributed to society. These include actors, actresses, celebrities, singers, world leaders, and many other famous people. Of course there are also millions of people worldwide who may not be famous in the sense society deems famous, but still live with, battle, and overcome their disabilities every single day of their lives.”
Vivan Singh Gill, facility director, said, “A disability is often used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic diseases. These lists are a constant work in progress and were created to prove that it is indeed possible to overcome the so-called disability barrier.”
Meanwhile, Joint and spine Centre also observed the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The aim of the campaign is to provide access to the best orthopaedic treatments at an affordable cost without any barrier.
