Team Herald
PANJIM: In a bid to provide better healthcare facilities to newborns and children with special needs, Goa Medical College and Hospital’s (GMC) Neuro Rehab Centre is set to undergo an overhaul.
Speaking to Herald, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the state of art facility, a first of its kind in Goa, needs a revamp to provide better facilities for children.
He said, “There are 500 children registered at the pediatric neuro rehab centre. Now, due to lack of physiotherapists nothing is happening there. We are bringing it back to its old glory and the Chief Minister has assured all help towards improving the facility.”
Stating that the small number of physiotherapists is hampering functioning, he said specialists from Mumbai will be invited to train physiotherapists in the State and provide facilities for the young ones.
Rane had established the Pediatric Neuro Rehab Centre during his first tenure as health minister. However, over a period of time, negligence to this branch of child medicine led to its collapse.
In another initiative, Rane has decided to re-launch the screening facility for newborn babies. The facility was introduced in 2008, but like some other initiatives, it lagged behind in priority.
Stating that the facility is an important initiative which would help in providing better health care, Rane said, “The newborn screening facility will be reintroduced with all necessary improvements. These facilities were introduced with the aim of providing better health care. With the support of the Chief Minister all such facilities will be provided and necessary things will be put in place.”
