Health and Disability News from India 1 Nov 2008

CHENNAI: The All India Confederation of Organisations for persons with mental disability has demanded the formulation of a separate Act to regulate the functioning of special schools in Tamil Nadu.

About 100 non-governmental organisations running special schools in the State pressed their demand at an interactive meeting held here on Thursday. These special schools are currently regulated under the Private Schools Act. “This makes it difficult for us as some of the rules in the Act are not applicable to special schools,” said S Namburajan, secretary of the Confederation at the meeting with the State Commissioner for the Disabled Meenakshi Rajagopal.

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MUMBAI: Grabbing the latest bestseller off the shelf is on its way to becoming a reality for India's visually-disabled . In a major step towards increasing access to the written world for those who are print-disabled , Bookshare.org, the world's largest online library for the print-disabled , has entered the Indian market. Bookshare has partnered with three organisations across India-the Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) in Mumbai, Worth Trust in Tamil Nadu and Saksham Charitable Organisation in Delhi, to start Bookshare India. http://www.bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html

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HYDERABAD: In a record of sorts, the ENT department of Apollo Hospital performed a record number of 18 cochlear operations on stone deaf children on Friday. As a result of this operation, the children mostly in the age group of 2 -9 years will be able to hear and talk for the first time ever. The children are now in hospital but will leave for home in the next couple of days. Most of the operations were funded by the Rajiv Arogyasri programme of the government and the procedure involves implanting a device into the ears of the patient. Dr Vinay Kumar said that though there is a backlog of 1.5 million patients in the country who need such procedures, the 20 centres handling such operations perform less than 2,500 surgeries per year. “There is a lack of proper awareness in the country and the cost of the sophisticated electronic device that is implanted at Rs 5 lakhs also acts as a deterrent,” the ENT surgeon said.

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Daimler is supporting the Cleft Center that opened in Mumbai this spring with a donation of €50,000.

The clinic performs operations and subsequent medical checkups on children with cleft lips, palates or jaws. At the Mercedes-Benz Sales and Service Center in Stuttgart today Prof Bharat Balasubramanian, Director of Group Research & Advanced Engineering at Daimler AG, presented a check for that amount to Heinz Lübbe, President of Deutsche Cleft-Kinder-Hilfe e.V. This association works worldwide to improve conditions for children and teenagers who suffer from cleft lips, palates and jaws. The financial support from Daimler AG will make operations possible for 250 children in the Mumbai Cleft Center. In order to improve the living situation of the affected children and their families, the Deutsche Cleft-Kinder-Hilfe association was founded in 2002. There are already eight cleft centers in India, in which operations are performed on 2,000 children and teenagers each year. The comprehensive, free treatment also includes subsequent medical checkups, speech therapy, social advice, and accommodation, as well as transport costs for the children and their families, who are often destitute.

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In a joint statement, Royal National Institute of the Blind (UK) and BarrierBreak Technologies today announced to bring to Mumbai Techshare - Europe’s biggest technology event to promote accessibility and assistive technology for people with disabilities.

Techshare India 2008, will be held in Mumbai on Tuesday, 4th November, 2008 on the premises of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute For The Hearing Handicapped, Bandra (West), Mumbai. In a first of it’s kind activity in Mumbai, Techshare India 2008 will highlight the importance of implementing accessibility standards and complying to different accessibilities laws. Techshare India 2008 will also showcase IT products and services that will allow visitors to browse through the latest in assistive technologies available. It will showcase the role of technology in the lives of people with disabilities, looking not just at web accessibility but also software accessibility and accessibility on the move for mobiles and PDAs. One of the highlights of the event will be an experience zone where every visitor can get a first hand feel what it is to have a disability. Key speakers at the conference will comprise of prominent people like Ms. Nina Screwvalla, Global Head, TCS Maitree and Mr. Vickram Crishna, Chief Executive, Net Radiophony India Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai and Ms. Shilpi Kapoor, Director, BarrierBreak Technologies; amongst others.

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CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University has brought on board a postgraduate diploma course in Learning Disability. The first of its kind course, was inaugurated by Chief Consul of American Consulate Andrew T Simkin. The course seeks to create awareness on the condition in schoolgoing children among parents and educators. It hopes to address the children's need for remedial help. It comprises four theory papers - Basic Psychology, Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Management and Development and Medical Aspects in Children and Adolescents - in the first semester. Candidates are required to submit case studies and remedial measures through intervention during the second semester. On completion, the person would be qualified to work as a special educator in educational institutions.

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PHDCCI asks Indian government to discuss double taxation issue with USA

Industry body PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) today asked the government to put the discussions with the new US administration on avoidance of double taxation on social security contributions on the fast track.

At present, an employer who sends his employees to the US for short-term assignments ends up paying social security tax both in India and the US.

The chamber said two governments can enter into an agreement, also known as Totalisation agreement, to obviate the problem of individuals working in the two countries and paying double taxes.

By virtue of the agreement between the countries, an individual continues to contribute to the social security scheme of the home country, despite being relocated to another country.

It is mandatory for over 4,40,000 establishments registered with the EPFO to deduct from the salaries of the foreign workers 12 per cent of their basic pay and deposit matching contributions, the chamber said.

A major irritant in signing the totalisation agreement between India and the US was non-coverage of expatriates working in India under the EPF, which is the Indian version of the social security tax.

The absence of a treaty with the US, where a large number of Indian citizens are working on short-term visas, has led to forfeiture of billions of dollars paid as social security tax, the chamber said, adding that an employee has to work for 10 years in the US to avail of benefits like old-age pension, disability insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance.

In Other Health and Disability News from India

BANGALORE: Free housing facility, single identity card, proper implementation of the Persons with Disability Act 1995, three per cent reservation in all government jobs, state Assemblies and Parliament, and setting up of more schools for the disabled, are some of the demands which have been put forward by the Visually Impaired People’s Fellowship (VIPF) to the government.

In an effort to provide a platform for the visually-impaired people to display their cultural talents, specially singing and dancing, mimicry and fabulous mouth-organ playing, NA YANA -2008 was hosted by VIPF at Mitralaya Girl’s High School here on Sunday.

Speaking at the inaugural function, Shashikumar, CEO and MD, Faith India Marketing (P) Ltd said: “People should lend a helping hand to differently-abled people and pledge their eyes too. Besides, students should come forward to unveil their talents and bring about a change in the society.” VIPF has been active for the past 11 years, advocating the rights of the visually-impaired people.