‘No government PMR/disability centre in Nagaland’
Dimapur, April 12 (MExN): In a memorandum to the chief secretary of Nagaland, about 50 members from disabled people’s organizations, parents association, NGOs and government departments has appealed for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR)/disability centre for the disabled people in the state.
The signatories in the letter rued that Nagaland does not have one government PMR/disability centre, because of which majority who could not afford to go outside the state to avail rehabilitation “remained and deteriorated in their disabling conditions, thus suffering untold miseries.”
The letter stated that the disabled people are “suffering untold hardship” and the issue of disability in the state is a “very sad affair”, especially due to “neglect from various responsible quarters resulting from ignorance.” The major responsibility of the state lies with medical department in the form of medical rehabilitation, even though many government departments are involved in the welfare of the disabled, the letter read.
“Though there is no permanent cure for disability, there is prevention and medical rehabilitation to help the disabled live independent lives, thus a stronger and able society,” it asserted. “But sadly, this aspect of health care has been absent for a very long time, quite understandably due to lack of trained specialist in the field.”
The latter therefore appealed for full fledged PMR/disability centre in the state complete with required manpower/ therapist, instruments and infrastructure so that “complete medical rehabilitation of the disabled community is available within the state and that too free of cost.”
According to the letter, the 2001 census put the population of disabled in the state to 26,000 comprising of developmental disabilities like cerebral palsy, autism, Down’s syndrome etc, and acquired ones like paralysis due to stroke and spinal cord injuries, amputees etc.
Currently, the only two disability rehabilitation in the state are being looked after by District Disability Rehabilitation Center run by the Indian Red Cross Society which looks after lower limb amputees, and a PMR unit “unofficially” started at the Civil Hospital, Dimapur in 2011 by lone PMR specialist Dr Imlitemsu Ozukum, MD (PMR).
“We strongly feel that the government should seriously look into the plight of the disabled of the state without delay,” the letter stated. “The disabled should not be neglected any further and their right to health care (rehabilitation) should be given priority.”
.JPG)
