Don’t abandon kids with special needs

We are concerned about the government's plan to cut specialist care for the 35 Shishu Bikash Kendras that have long provided affordable care to children with special needs in the country. Reportedly, under the Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme, the health ministry set up these centres in 2008—24 in medical college hospitals and 11 in district hospitals—while appointing developmental paediatricians, therapists, and child psychologists to provide treatment and therapy to children aged up to 16. Over the years, these centres have transformed the lives of countless children with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, epilepsy, delayed speech, intellectual disabilities, and other disorders. But since the project's term expired last June, the future of these centres now hangs in the balance.

Reportedly, the health ministry proposed a two-year initiative to run these centres. However, when the finance ministry forwarded the plan to the Planning Commission, the posts for developmental paediatricians were dropped. Instead, it suggested outsourcing 35 therapists and 12 psychologists. According to those associated with the centres, specialist doctors have to devote a significant amount of time to each patient. If they are replaced by general doctors, the centres' core purpose will be lost. Experts warned that cutting specialist care may save money in the short term but will lead to higher long-term costs, as children deprived of early treatment risk growing up dependent on state support.

Read more

Rising poverty needs proper responses

The importance of these centres with specialist care cannot be overstated. Since the project was launched, a total of 243,000 children have received treatment in these centres, with more than 1,000 patients receiving treatment daily. What is unique about these facilities is that they provide treatment to children from low- and middle-income families—for only a fee of Tk 10—who otherwise cannot afford the expensive treatment for their conditions.

Read more

Protect children from rape, sexual abuse

We, therefore, urge the government to develop a comprehensive plan to run these centres smoothly. If the government does have a plan to integrate them into the mainstream system, it should be implemented without compromising the standard of treatment. We may recall that the Health Sector Reform Commission recommended establishing multidisciplinary child development centres in all district and medical college hospitals, while also proposing a Child Development Centre Act to ensure sustainability. The government must pay heed to these suggestions and act accordingly. Since there are very few facilities for children with developmental needs in the country, the existing ones must not be discontinued or weakened under any circumstances.