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HEALTH |
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BODY
& MIND
Paediatrician’s labour of love for autistic kids
Tripti Nath Dr A. Mervyn Fox, the UK-based paediatrician with specialisation in developmental and behavioural paediatrics and rehabilitation, has authored a book titled, ‘An introduction to neuro-development disorders’. The book was released by the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Satyanarayan Jatiya, at a medical seminar on ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’ at India International Centre here on Thursday. Priced at Rs 300, the book has been published by the Delhi-based National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The author has dealt with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities in separate chapters. The book also has a chapter on family-centric care. Its glossary is useful for medical students. Ms Aloka Guha, Chairperson of the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, says that Dr Fox wrote the book in six months out of love for these children. He wrote the book in six months without charging a penny while Dr Guha edited the manuscript. In the last 12 years, Dr Fox has come to India six times to share his experience of dealing with disability and training doctors, special educators, therapists and teachers. The main objective of the seminar was to create greater understanding on autism. According to sources in the National Trust, persons with autism are not physically disabled and look just like anybody without the disability. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability, which appears in the first three years of life. It is often referred to as a spectrum disorder as the symptoms can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations ranging from mild to severe. About 250 doctors, rehabilitation professionals and parents participated in the research-based discussion on autism. Ms Guha explained that autism is a very complex neuro-developmental disorder. “The complexity of the issue has not been understood till now.” In her presentation at the seminar, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy, Developmental Paediatrician, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, said that these development disorders are being identified gradually. Dr Krishnamurthy who has a large number of autistic children in her practice profile said that some autistic children are very bright and brilliant and this ought to be recognised. She said that speech and language therapy could help them acquire knowledge. The Mumbai-based paediatrician said that autistic children should be integrated into the mainstream schools.
Disabled Rights Group to hold rally
The autistic children want to reach out to the sky. |
Exasperated over unkept promises made by former Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Vijay Goel and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Disabled Rights Group has decided to hold a rally at Jantar Mantar on Sunday. DRG Convenor Javed Abidi says that the two ministers had assured him an appointment with the Finance Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, for considering three of the 12 demands made by the DRG in August last year. The DRG has demanded raising the limit of Income Tax exemption for the disabled persons and their parents from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1,00,000, exempting aids and appliances used by the disabled from import duties and taxes and announcing incentives for the private sector to promote employment opportunities for the disabled persons in Indian corporates. Mr Abidi wonders why the Finance Minister cannot spare some time to lend ears to ‘the grievances of a vulnerable group which has no profit motive and is only trying to make lives of 70 million disabled persons easier’. The DRG convenor said that the Budget is only two weeks away and the Finance Minister is refusing to meet us. “We have no option but to hold a rally to draw the attention of the government,” the DRG activist said. Apart from the disabled persons and their families, the DRG is hopeful that the representatives from various voluntary organisations as the Spastics Society of Northern India, Hemophilia Foundation, Delhi Association of the Deaf, Leprosy Mission, Deepalaya, SWAVALAMBAN will participate in the rally. The DRG activist said that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment set up a committee in December to examine the viability of such exemption. The committee chaired by the Director, Disabilities Division endorsed the demands of the DRG. Commenting on the
government's scant consideration for the disabled persons, Mr Abidi pointed out that the customs duty on rough semi-precious stones and raw cultured pearls is only five per cent while the duty on hearing aids is 15 per cent. There is 15 per cent customs duty on cordless handsets compared to 25 per cent duty on crutches and artificial limbs. While the customs duty on computers is nil, the closed circuit television sets used as low vision aids for the visually disabled persons are charged 25 per cent customs duty. “Taxes imposed on aids and appliances meant for the disabled persons are criminal. This constitutes a direct contravention of the WHO and the UN which mandate upon member countries not to make profits from disability goods,” Mr Abidi who is orthopaedically disabled said.
National symposium on AyurvedaThe second national symposium on Ayurveda, which concluded here on Sunday favoured submission of proposals and a draft memorandum to Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment and Forests for changing existing policy initiatives to stress the need for a smooth procurement of critically required medicinal plants. Existing regulations under various government laws don’t recognise the unique requirements of the Ayurvedic industry in the procurement of medicinal plants from forests. Relying on data based findings, the industry clarified that its requirements of medicinal plants cannot be considered harmful for the forests. The industry uses fruits, leaves, bark and roots, which have an annual life cycle and in case of large trees can also be harvested in a sustainable manner. The three-day symposium was organised by the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers Association (ADMA), the apex body of the Indian Ayurveda industry in association with the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H). A large number of representatives from the industry, opinion leaders, government officers and dignitaries participated in the symposium. Interactive sessions and workshops were focussed on issues as medicinal plants and bio resources, exports and globalisation, research and technology adoption, techno-commercial issues and GMP-Schedule T. According to ADMA, India has about 7,500 licensed Ayurvedic manufacturers in 32 States and Union Territories. The ADMA will also propose market surveys ad trade delegations to important markets in Africa, Western Europe and South East Asian countries. The conference also addressed issues related to compliance of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi suggested that the three important components of Ayurveda Department of ISM&H, Ayurvedic professionals and organisations as ADMA should come together to evolve three and five year plans with specific action programmes addressing the issues facing the Ayurveda industry.
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