GUWAHATI, Dec 5 - The Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) on Thursday organised a virtual awareness programme on the condition of people with disabilities.
Principal of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Prof Achyut Chandra Baishya who was the chief guest of the event, highlighted the social, economic and psychological impacts besides the visible physical implications of disabilities on the lives of people suffering from any form of disability.
Speaking on similar lines, retired head of the Department of Orthopaedics, GMCH Dr Anil Kumar Mahanta laid stress on the importance of �human dignity� and �human rights� in his speech �An approach to the rehabilitation of the physically disabled in the society�. �All ailments can be treated or controlled with the right interventions,� he asserted.
Citing the example of eminent dancer Sudha Chandran, Dr Mahanta said, �People who are suffering from any form of disability should be treated and integrated back into the mainstream. The integration process should be human-centric and respectful with the goal of helping the people to join the workforce as productive human resources.�
Speaking on the topic �Recent Technology Induction in Rehabilitation�, head of the Department of Orthopaedics, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences Dr Bhaskar Borgohain vouched for a �well organised, coordinated, multi-disciplinary rehabilitation programme like neurorobotics that could assist human beings with disabilities as the case of reputed scientist Stephen Hawking proves.�
Dr Borgohain dwelt on the shift in paradigm from medical management to psychological and socio-cultural rehabilitation of the persons with disabilities. �Digital technology, robotics and artificial intelligence would be the future trinity of healthcare. The robots or machines are built on disruptive technology like artificial intelligence to adapt to various stimuli mimicking human intelligence,� he said.
Dwelling on the long history of disabilities following chronic osteomyelitis of long bones, head of the Department of Orthopaedics, Assam Medical College and Hospital Dr Ranjit Kumar Barua laid stress on the importance of early detection and treatment of persons suffering from this ailment.
Dispelling the myths that surround congenital deformities and rehabilitation, Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital Dr Sukalyan Dey said, �Disability arising from birth defects and circumstances during the period of birth is fairly common in our country. What makes it a bigger hurdle to cross is the prevailing belief system that most of the rehabilitative processes require surgery or that they are expensive. Parents and guardians also fear that the treatment is painful for the patients. The absence of a part of the body or the lack of control of the movements of the limbs presents the healthcare provider with challenges. At the same time, children are amazingly adaptive. They are quick to learn and imbibe skills. Rehabilitation of the specially-abled children is full of promises and rewards.�
SSUHS Vice Chancellor Professor Dipika Deka was the patron of the awareness programme.
