Close to three percent of the Indian population are differently-abled, said Dr V Kanagasabai, Dean, Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government  General Hospital on Monday.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day exhibition at the Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at KK Nagar ahead of International Day of  Persons with Disabilities, which falls on Tuesday.

Kanagasabai said that among the differently-abled, more than one percent are visually challenged, 0.6 percent have locomotor disability and another 0.6 percent are hearing impairing, while the rest are either mute or suffer cerebral palsy.

“Apart from that, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of road accidents where people lose their limbs or vision or become paralysed. For them, we offer immediate  treatment at the RGGGH and are later sent for rehabilitation,” the dean said after inaugurating the exhibition.

He also elaborated on the services offered at the Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. He said that they manufacture prostheses and orthotics for those  who lose their limbs and the paraplegic. “Awareness about disabled-friendly environments is slowly picking up,” the dean said when he spoke about the United Nations theme for this year – Break Barriers, Open Doors: For An Inclusive Society and Development For All.

Stressing that the aim of the two-day exhibition was to create public awareness on the hospital’s work on disability management, Dr C Ramesh, Director and Head of the institution, said there were about 20 stalls, including one that has a display of artificial limbs for amputees and calipers. “We have stalls that attempt to give an idea  on the rehabilitation we do here, including physical medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and more.”

The exhibition also had live demonstrations on small scale projects focusing on self-employment and micro loans from various centres. NGOs that had been working towards the upliftment of the differently-abled also participated in the expo, apart from displaying artwork, artificial jewellery and other products made by  them.

The Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, which was part of the Government General Hospital, moved to the present campus in KK Nagar in 1979. The 60 -bed hospital treats about 150 out-patients a day and supplies over 1000 artificial limbs a year for nominal amount of `38 and calipers and splints at `30.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / December 03rd, 2013