One-stop social service centres for persons with disabilities opened in Tiruchi

A beneficiary engaged in an activity at the one-stop social service centre on East Boulevard Road in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Department for Welfare of Differently Abled Persons, with the support of Tiruchi Corporation, has set up ‘Vizhudhugal – One Stop Social Service Centres’ to offer rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities.

Block-level centres have been set up on the premises of Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) on East Boulevard Road and Ponmalai in the city. A space at the UPHC was provided by the Corporation and was renovated by the department to add facilities for persons with disabilities, including ramps, at an approximate cost of ₹10 lakh each.

At present, one-stop centres are functioning at Cantonment, Musiri and Manapparai. Work is underway to set up centres at Palakkarai, Tiruverumbur and Thuvakudi. “It is aimed at delivering integrated services to the individual needs of persons with disabilities. More centres would be set up across the district,” said a senior official.

The project is part of Tamil Nadu RIGHTS, funded by the World Bank. A sum of ₹46.13 crore has been allocated for a period of six years.

Each centre will have psychologists, speech audiologists, occupational therapists, counsellors, physiotherapists, special educators, optometrists, sign language trainers and community workers under a single roof to provide the health-related rehabilitation service required for persons with disabilities.

As part of ‘Vizhudhugal’, four mobile health centres were launched recently. It is aimed at providing doorstep healthcare services for early identification and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities from rural areas. The specially equipped vehicle is staffed by four paramedics, including a therapist and audiologist, and features physiotherapy, audiometry, and optometry compartments, facilities for wheelchair access and CCTV surveillance.

Meanwhile, a door-to-door survey would be initiated to enumerate the total number of persons with disabilities in the district. “At present, there are around 40,000 beneficiaries in the district enrolled in various welfare schemes. A needs assessment will be conducted to identify the support they need and help them get access,” the official added. Steps are being taken to fill up vacancies in the department.