City to get India’s first residential rehab centre for disabled kids

Nagpur: Former president of India Ram Nath Kovind will be in Nagpur on Sunday to inaugurate INSPIRE, a comprehensive rehabilitation centre for children with locomotor disability, at Junewani Road, Hingna. The centre is first-of-its-kind residential complex in India for disabled children who need long-term therapy and training of their parents in various therapy programmes.
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will attend the inaugural function of the centre to be held at 9am on Sunday.
Nagpur’s paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr Viraj Shingade, who is known for conducting free of cost surgeries of children born with disabilities of bones, joints or muscles and cerebral palsy, had come up with the concept for this centre.
“INSPIRE stands for Institute of neurosciences, paediatric orthopaedic illnesses rehabilitation and education. This centre will provide complete rehabilitation to disabled children who require a multimodal approach corrective surgery and long-term physiotherapy with the use of orthotic appliances,” Dr Shingade said.
As a charity-run centre, most of the facilities are free of cost.
“Currently, this centre provides physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and psychological counseling. Accessibility creation park has specially designed barrier-free environment, accessible rides and sensory garden to provide therapy in a fun way. All these facilities are free of cost,” said Dr Shingade.
One of the parents would be allowed to stay with their child at the centre. They will also learn basics of physiotherapy which can be continued at home. Parents will have to bear expenses only for their accommodation and food (not for kids).