Kochi, March 17, 2008: A joint program of MedVista Healthcare Solutions India Pvt Ltd & Child Care Center,a venture of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Cochin, and the Ernakulam District Council for Child Welfare, announced to offer stuttering (stammering) and voice clinic. The clinic is being designed as a one-stop point for all speech and language problems in children and will function on all Tuesdays.

“Does your child, who appears normal to your eyes, perform badly in studies? Do not take it to be arrogance or reluctance to study. For, the child might well be a victim of learning disability. “

It is the first center in the State with a multi-disciplinary team for evaluation of learning disability. Apart from pediatricians, psychologists and psychiatrists also render voluntary service at the center, S.S. Kamath, medical director of the Child Care Center, said at a press conference convened here recently to inform about the new initiatives of the Center.

District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, who is also the chairman of the center, said the center had come a long way ever since its modest beginnings. “It has now become the nucleus which attracts children even from other States,” he said. Treatment is given at a very low cost while the underprivileged children are treated free of cost, he said.

The center has so far evaluated 9,000 children with poor school performance and identified learning disabilities in about 4000 of them. Those children were given necessary help and guidance.

The center conducts sensitization programs on learning disability for NGOs and schools throughout the State on a regular basis. Also, summer workshops on study skills are held regularly.

Another pioneering program undertaken by the center was the newborn hearing screening program started in 2003. The Center had identified hearing loss in 20 newborns below the age of six months and remedied the disability effectively by supporting them with hearing aids. “If unidentified at a very early age and not supported with hearing aids, such children could end up speechless,” Dr. Kamath said.

Launching a new initiative, the center has joined hands with MedVista Healthcare Solutions, a leading allied healthcare solution provider to School system worldwide. During the press release, MedVista Project Manager, Mumtaz Ismail discussed about the importance of Speech Language Pathologist, Psychologist, Special Ed Teachers, Occupational Therapist, and Pediatricians & Nutritionist working together as a team for this project to identify issues with children. Dr Abraham Paul, Executive Director of Child, Dr S S Kammath, Medical Director of Child Care Center & V S Soman, Secretary, District Child Welfare office were present with District Collector. Care Center