To treat congenital diseases, centre will come up at Noida’s Sector 30
An NGO will be setting up the centre for treating a range of congenital diseases
Uttar Pradesh’s first Centre of Excellence and District Early Intervention Centre (DEIC) for free treatment of congenital disorders will be set up soon at the superspecialty child hospital and post graduate institute (SSCHPGI) in Sector 30.
Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT), a non-government organisation, will be setting up the centre for treating hole in the heart, club foot, cleft lip, eye and hearing, down syndrome and other mental disorders, psychology, defects in eyes, speech, etc. The funds will be provided by the Centre under the National Health Mission.
Congenital anomalies are major causes of infant and childhood mortality, chronic illnesses and disability.
The DEIC will provide screening, referral and management facilities for early recognition and management of 4Ds — deficiencies, diseases, development delays and disorders — as specified under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram guidelines.
“This centre would act as a role model for other DEICs. In addition, it would act as a regional training centre for capacity building of the technical team of other DEICs in the state. This intervention would play a critical role in early recognition of anomalies and ensure timely intervention to help reduce the burden of handicap. The centre will become fully functional in six months,” said a spokesperson of HLFPPT, the NGO running the programme at the national level.
The 0-6 years age group will be specifically managed at DEIC while for the 6 -18 years age group, management of conditions will be done through existing public health facilities. The DEIC will act as referral linkages for both age groups.
Dr DK Singh, chief medical superintendent, super specialty child hospital, said a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the NGO for providing them space on the child hospital premises.
“We have handed over the keys and they will be setting up the facility soon. They will run an out-patient department from 9am to 5pm on weekdays with a team of doctors, therapists and paramedical staff. Children with congenital disorders will be referred by them for higher treatment,” he said.
Doctors of various disciplines will run the DEIC. Dr Vikrant Sharma, head of ophthalmology in SSCHPGI and nodal officer for the project, said,”The NGO will have an orthopaedic surgeon, neurologist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist, optometrist, counsellor, speech therapist, dentist and staff nurse to run the OPD.”
The first level of screening of newborns is to be done at the time of delivery by the existing medical officers, staff nurses and ANMs. The screening of newborns, from 48 hours till six weeks, will be done by ASHA at home. Outreach screening will be done by dedicated mobile block level teams when a child is between six weeks and six years at anganwadis and between 6 and 18 years at school.
Once the child is screened and referred from any of these points of identification, it would be ensured that the necessary treatment/intervention is delivered at zero cost to the family.
Chief medical officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, Dr Anurag Bhargava said the NGO will be the service provider, while the Centre will provide the funds under NHM, and the child hospital the premises and higher treatment. “The NGO will bear the expenses of the treatment at the child hospital, which is an autonomous body and charges for treatment,” he said.
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