Panaji : ‘District hospitals should assess kids’

Panaji: In a bid to reduce the burden of the Institute of Psychiatry & Human Behaviour (IPHB) and also provide respite to parents and children, the state commission for protection of child rights has urged the government to let senior psychiatrists at both the district hospitals to assess children and issue certification for specific learning disabilities (SLD).

The commission has found that parents from different corners of the state find it difficult to travel all the way to Bambolim and are also reluctant to take their children to IPHB for tests due to the social stigma that many attach to the institute which treats patients with mental illnesses.

The panel said assessments at district hospitals would also save parents’ time that they spend making multiple trips to the institute and waiting for an appointment for the tests.

In its recommendations to the government, the commission has stated that children, along with their certificates, should also be given a copy of the psychological test reports with details of all the tests done.

In addition, it has suggested that all students be screened for specific learning disabilities at the start of the academic year.