Karnataka: Vanivilas becomes lifeline for kids with defects

Bengaluru: The recently started early intervention centre at the Government-run Vanivilas Women and Children Hospital will of help to children with various growth deficiencies.

The 'District early intervention centre for children with developmental delays’ started functioning from January 1 and will be a one-stop centre for children with any congenital delays.

The centre will deal with cases from newborns to eighteen-year-olds and provide treatment free of cost.

"This centre aims to treat children suffering from all the four Ds, namely, disease, defects, deficiency and development delays," said Dr Premlatha, professor and HOD, Vanivilas Hospital.

A child is said to be suffering from developmental delays, if he or she fails to reach the developmental milestones within a time frame. However, this does not include any minor delay in the child’s development.

"Defects can be hydrocephalus, clubfoot, cleft lip and cleft palate and other such defects. Deficiencies can also include hypothyroid or iron deficiency. Some of the diseases would include thalassemia or sickle cell anaemia. Developmental delays include a whole spectrum of mental retardation, motoring impairment or speech delays," Premlatha said.

"The children can be referred to Vanivilas Hospital from the mobile school health teams or Anganwadi workers, Asha workers would be free. Even if doctors or nurses detect any abnormality and refer the infant to our hospital these children would be treated for free," said Dr Premlatha.

"We are already getting some 3-5 cases a day since the opening of the centre," she added and hoped the centre would soon deal with 30-50 cases.

She said since the hospital also a tertiary care centre, they were receiving cases from all over the state. The treatment at the centre comes under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram through the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, Karnataka.