Non–Government Initiatives

IAP calls for early intervention for hearing loss

Stressing more infant–care hospitals at grass–roots level, the National Neonatal Forum of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) called for a rethink on our health policy so that more children can be saved from the jaws of death.

Though high infant mortality rate (IMR) is still a concern for health experts, subjects like cardiology and cancer are always drawing more attention, the experts of the forum felt, adding at least one speciality hospital for children should be established in each district.

Addressing mediapersons on “Newborn care in India and ways to reduce IMR” here at Pedicon–2008, eminent neonatologist from Haryana Dr ON Bhakoo said according to the recent National Family Health Survey even today 40 percent deliveries in peripheral areas are done by untrained dais or relatives.

“There should be a system to employ highly specialised doctors to train, supervise and re–train the health workers and a concrete model for the national level be devised for safe delivery,” he said adding education materials must be available in local languages to facilitate health workers.

Apart from institutional/safe delivery process, Dr Bhakoo also called for creating simple protocols, provision of basic equipment and proper coordination between the persons concerned and creation of “district committee on child birth and newborn care”.

Emeritus professor of paediatrics and former director of PGIMER Chandigarh Dr BNS Walia said unless we ensure saving children through proper medical interventions, our family planning programmes will go nowhere.

Calling for a proper “standardisation process” for the people who deliver, he also emphasised that there was a need to sensitise politicians to make them understand the importance of the neonatal care.

To a question regarding a facility in Orissa which has the highest IMR in the country, the expert said as the issue is of national importance, a modern facility can be created though NRI contributions and involving the mega industrial houses which are coming to the State now in a bigger way.

Regarding the role of breast feeding and detection of disability like hearing loss, Dr Abraham K Paul from Kochi said how with the efforts of IAP's Childhood Disability Group, the parents are sensitised and most of the babies in their city are without any hearing disability.

Local organising president of Pedicon–2008 Dr S S Mohapatra said we have not yet reached the target of 2007 on IMR in Orissa and majority of the neonatal deaths are specific to perinatal period, poor maternal health, inadequate care during pregnancy and poor hygiene.

Source: IAP for paediatric units at dist level. New Indian Express Service. 19 January 2008.

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Educated youth ignored in employment

International Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research of India (HRTRI), a Non Government Organization (NGO) organized a press conference at Jammu to highlight the demands of handicapped educated youth.

Addressing the media personnel, Chairman of the organization, Mohammad Younis Choudhary reiterated that educated handicapped youth are ignored for employment in government jobs due to which they become helpless. He said other states in India have a special employment exchange for the recruitment of handicapped but in Jammu and Kashmir State no one cares for them.

He said that the matter regarding misuse of funds to the tune of crores granted by the Ministry of Social Welfare has not yet been accounted for. He alleged that neither the amount released for battery tricycle to neither the handicapped nor the rest of the amount of rupees two crore was utilized for the purpose for which it was given. “It was a matter of grave injustice with handicapped persons”, he added.

He demanded that the State. Government should provide full concession in bus fare, electricity charges, medical treatment and education to over aged and to the illiterate handicapped.

He disclosed that the Haji Nissar Ali the then Cabinet Minister SWF, commissioner secretaries and all other secretaries in year 2006 decided that the handicapped persons would be given pension, but none of these have been provided till date.

Condemning the attitude of State Government and authorities concerned, he said that the state government has given deaf ears to the problems of the handicapped persons of the State. “Especially when the government has announced rupees four crore for the betterment of this class but they still await implementation of such facilities” he said. The organization members stressed upon the government to fulfill this primary humanitarian responsibility of governance immediately so that the handicapped may have a sigh of relief, failing which they would have no alternate but to intensify the agitation.

Source: Handicapped persons grossly neglected in JK. IIRTRI, Kashmir Times, 7 January 2008.

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