New AIIMS to have physical medicine and rehab depts: Ramadoss

Mumbai, Sep 15 (UNI) Union Health Minister Dr Abumani Ramadoss today said the new institutes of AIIMS, which are to come up in future, would have departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Speaking at the inauguration of the New Block at the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AIIPMR) here, Dr Ramadoss said as per the 2001 census, there were nearly 2.19 crore disabled people in this country and the facilities for their medical treatment and rehabilitation were inadequate.

The minister said that keeping in mind the demands of the ageing population, lifestyle diseases, natural and man-made disasters, it was neccessary to upgrade the facilities for physical medicine and rehabilitation in the country. He said AIIPMR should take initiative in giving suggestions to the central government for better policy formulation in effective management of various disabilities.

The minister said prevention of diseases was the priority for the central government and if diseases were detected in time, 70 per cent of the disabilities in children could be cured. He said the central government was implementing a National Programme for Speech and Hearing Disabled.

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