Not just education, Kalam Express is rendering medical help too

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 16

Manisha, who cannot stand on her feet and go to school, is greeted with surprise on Wednesday. Kalam Express, a special bus being run by district administration, with two educators for special children and a physiotherapist has come just for her.

While Vivek Rai and Kavita Devi helps her in lessons, Dr Kritika Joshi provided her much needed physiotherapy.

This special bus will visit homes of all the 57 physically challenged students, who cannot come to school over a period of month.

Though there are a total of 750 special children in the district who have been enrolled in schools.

“Manisha suffered from tuberculosis. She took treatment but later developed weakness and now her condition is deteriorating. Her lower part is not functioning properly. She is not able to walk,” says Dr Joshi who helps her with physiotherapy exercises as the Kalam Express is equipped with stationary cycle, shoulder ladder, shoulder wheel, elevated platform.

A ramp has also been provided in the AC bus for children to enter.

“We have teaching learning material-laptops, books, puzzles, toys-to help children,” says Rai, who is an expert in teaching hearing impaired children at a government school in Sector 20.

Manisha studies in Class VI and her father works as labourer. “We are happy that a bus has come for just 1 child,” says Subhavati, mother of Manisha. She also discussed medical history of Manisha with the doctor and took advice about treatment in future.

“We are also enrolling out of schoolchildren wherever we are finding them,” says Kavita Devi, who teaches mentally challenged children in a government school.

“The file about this project was the first one which I wanted to clear when I joined as the DC in Panchkula. The idea took birth in Jind when my husband Ajit Balaji Joshi and I started a similar initiative. It received a good response there,” says Panchkula DC Gauri Parashar Joshi.

Her husband Ajit Balali Joshi, who is presently the DC of Chandigarh, launched the special bus in Chandigarh too. Launched on August 15, Kalam Express has been attending three to four children every day. Soon, it is going to have a speech therapist too.