TAMBARAM: Speakers at an awareness programme here urged the youth, particularly students, to contribute more towards protecting mentally challenged persons in the country, considering there was very little efforts from the State and Central governments.

During an awareness programme on `avoiding the birth of mentally challenged children' organised by the Leo Club of the Lakshmi Ammal Engineering College, Selaiyur near Tambaram last week, the speakers called for awareness programmes to be taken up on a large scale. N.G. Mrinalini, principal of Ummeed Special School, said emphasis had to be on taking preventive steps that could reduce the risk of women giving birth to mentally challenged children. One of the preventive measures included the administration of Rubella vaccine to women when they reached 18 years of age. Addressing the nutritional deficiencies among women, she said ensuring healthy surroundings during pregnancy and proper care to newborn children were of utmost importance.

B. Radhakrishnan, director of Karunaii Trust for special children, said studies revealed there were more than 300 probable causes for birth of mentally challenged children.

Under such situations, the birth of children with mental deformities could not be prevented with just a single vaccine, like in the case of polio or other epidemics. R. Bhagirathi, former professor of Botany, insisted that genetic counselling for brides and grooms could also go a long way in preventing the birth of such children.

Speakers demanded that free passes meant for such children to travel in Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses included their escorts too. Further, free passes for these children were valid only between their houses and schools and not if they had to travel elsewhere. And in such circumstances where there was little help from governments, the youth needed to come forward and reach out to mentally challenged persons instead of treating them as objects of pity.

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