To make Autism treatment more affordable and convenient, the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust plans to set up a state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre within the premises of the Prabhadevi temple, which gets over Rs70 crore in donations yearly. The much-awaited centre is expected to open in the next six months.
To make Autism treatment more affordable and convenient, the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust plans to set up a state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre within the premises of the Prabhadevi temple, which gets over Rs70 crore in donations yearly. The much-awaited centre is expected to open in the next six months.
The centre will be located on the first floor of the building beside the temple. This will be the city's first centre to have multiple kinds of experts including paediatric neurologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, psychologist, ophthalmologist, orthopaedic surgeon and dietician, all under one roof, and at a subsidised rate.
Therapy sessions that normally cost between Rs700 to 1,800 per hour will cost a maximum of Rs100 to 300 at a subsidised rate in the Siddhivinayak centre.
"Some government permissions are pending, which we will be getting soon. We will definitely open the centre within the next six months. The centre will be of help to the families who cannot afford the cost of treating their children. Medical experts from the city will be appointed to the centre, and they will work on an honorary basis," said Mangesh Shinde, CEO of the temple trust.
He added, "The centre will cater mainly to the age group between six months to 12 years old. The experts will provide quality care to those with physical, mental, and behavioural disorders as well as those with multiple disabilities."
The temple is also appointing a co-ordinator for the centre who will maintain its records and allot slots for children with autism. According to experts, each child needs an hour per session.
Dr. Y K Amdekar, medical director, Wadia Children's hospital, said, "This is a welcome move. There is a need for such centres, because most of these treatments are only available in private set-ups. And the charges at these private centres are also high, with a minimum fee of Rs 30,000- 35,000 per year. The demand for such centres is much higher than the supply."
Besides medical experts, the centre will also have a medical social worker who will assist patients' families in getting financial aid if they need treatment from outside the centre.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) data states that one in 68 children is autistic and that the number of children identified with autism is growing. In India, the lack of awareness among people including paediatricians has led to poor reporting of the disease.
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