The Ernakulam district panchayat has come out with some important additions to its health programmes in its Budget for 2018-19. Along with health, agriculture and care of Scheduled Caste and Tribe communities have been given emphasis, District Panchayat President Asha Sanal said here on Monday.
A special fund has been set aside for the care of those afflicted by dyslexia and Alzheimer’s disease. Ms. Sanal said Ernakulam was the first district to do so.
The district panchayat has also allocated ₹10 lakh for the current financial year to help transgender entrepreneurs, who have been seeking financial support for starting ventures. Vice-president Abdul Mutaleeb said the fund under the head would be enhanced in the future.
As many as 20 ASHA workers from Kuttampuzha and Vengoor adivasi areas will be trained. The trainees will be selected from the community and trained under the National Rural Health Mission. They will be inducted as ASHA workers in 20 adivasi villages. Stretchers, wheelchairs, walkers, water beds, and materials for dressing wounds will also be provided to the villages. A total of ₹10 lakh has been earmarked for the programme. The panchayat has also set aside ₹50 lakh for providing free medicines to those in the shelter for mentally-challenged persons. An amount of ₹10 lakh has been allocated for a programme to identify those suffering fom Alzheimer’s disease and to take care of them at palliative care centres.
Another programme is to identify children with learning disabilities and to help them. A total of ₹18 lakh has been set aside for it.
Students from Scheduled Tribe communities, who are in pre-metric hostels, will be supported in personality development and career guidance.
The Budget has allocated ₹35 lakh for the purpose. A total of ₹3.79 crore has been set aside for students from Scheduled Caste communities, who gain admission at foreign varsities.