The Congress-led government in Karnataka announced that District Early Intervention Centres (DEIC) under the Rashtriya Bala Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) will be established in all districts of the state by next year to benefit specially-abled children.
Minister for Health, Dinesh Gundu Rao, made the announcement on the floor of the Legislative Assembly while responding to a question raised by Congress MLA Prakash Koliwad.
Rao said that the RBSK programme focusses on early screening and intervention for children with disabilities and health issues. Under the initiative, DEIC centres are set up to identify and treat children with developmental delays and medical conditions at an early stage.
He said that the centres would have specialists including a paediatricians, staff nurses, cardiologists and ophthalmologists, while some centres would also have psychologists to provide specialised support. He added that the government has taken a decision to expand the programme across the state and establish centres in all districts.
“There are currently 17 DEIC centres operating in the state and another centre will soon be started in Koppal. We have decided to establish these centres in all districts. Early intervention is important as addressing health issues at a young age will have a significant impact on the children’s future,” the minister said.
Rao also appreciated MLA Koliwad for raising the issue in the Assembly.
Raising the issue, Prakash Koliwad highlighted the importance of DEIC centres and pointed to the gap between estimated and registered cases of specially-abled children.
“According to a survey, around 6.3 per cent of children in the state are specially-abled. In my Ranibennur constituency, however, only 137 children are registered, while estimates suggest there should be nearly 18,000 specially-abled children in the taluk,” he said.
Koliwad also pointed out that Haveri district does not currently have a DEIC centre and that proposals for establishing one have not yet been approved.
He said that in the absence of such centres many children, particularly from poor families, struggle to access medical support. “In the absence of DEIC centres, many of these children are neglected. I have seen cases where they are left to struggle on the streets,” he said.
The MLA also shared that his own daughter is specially-abled and described the sector as neglected. He urged the government to sanction a DEIC centre for Haveri district at the earliest.
Koliwad further said that under the RBSK programme thousands of children have been identified as needing support, but many of them are forced to travel to cities such as Hubballi, Mangaluru and Shivamogga for treatment.
He demanded that tele-therapy and tele-counselling services be introduced at the taluk level and that specially-abled children be brought under digital tracking systems.
“This will help the government identify their needs and ensure they receive the necessary support so that future generations grow up healthier,” he said.
