Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved the setting up of state-of-the-art Advanced Autism and Research Care Centre at a cost of Rs. 16 crore at Mohali for the patients suffering from autism (A serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact).A decision to this effect was taken by Mr. Badal while presiding over a meeting with a host of medical experts, doctors and senior officers of the state Health department at his official residence this afternoon.It was informed in the meeting that the upcoming Centre would be set up in Sector 79 over an area of two acres of land, which have already been allotted by PUDA. The Centre would house a Special School, Assisted Living Centre, Diagnostic & Intervention Centre and Skill Development Centre besides an administrative office and would be completed within year.Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. Badal asked the Principal Secretary Health to get this Centre constructed from the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) within stipulated time frame of one year. The Centre would be managed and run an autonomous society comprising Board of Directors. He underscored the need to draw a time bound action plan to effectively tackle the incidence of autism in the state. He was apprised that on an average one person per 500-1000 was inflicted with autism in India where as the incidence of this disease was 100 per 1000 globally as per study. Mr. Badal was informed that nearly 25,000-30,000 persons in inflicted with such similar diseases across the state needed this type of Institute so that they could be cured properly by the trained doctors under one roof. The Chief Minister also asked the Secretary Medical Education & Research to create special faculty in all the Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals for the treatment of patients suffering from Autism.
Responding to another vital issue, the Chief Minister asked the health department to sensitize their disability medical boards at all district headquarters to issue disability certificate to the person suffering from autism, which were now facing acute hardship and passing through mental agony due to scant knowledge about it. Likewise, the Chief Minister also directed the health department to pro-actively take up the issue with the education department for giving admission to the children suffering from autism in the normal schools, as this step would not only inculcate a sense of equality, belongingness and self-respect but also save them from the scourge of discrimination and inferiority complex. It may be recalled that at present majority of such children were studying in special schools meant for autism patients.Dr. Ajit Awasthi, Professor & Head Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER presented a detailed blue print for the setting up of Advanced Centre besides suggested ways and means to establish special wings of autism in all the Government Medical Colleges at Patiala, Amritsar and Faridkot with trained manpower comprising child psychologists, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists and special educators/motivators to provide the best treatment to the autism patients.Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Mrs. Vinni Mahajan, Secretary Medical Education & Research Mr. Vikas Partap, MD PHSC Mr. Husan Lal and Special Secretary Health Mr. Vikas Garg.