As part of the mission to help people with genetic disorders, the authorities have decided to push local bodies to set up BUDS schools and rehabilitation centres in the district of Malapuram in Kerala by the end of next fiscal. District Collector VR Premkumar and the Kudumbashree District Mission office have asked the local bodies to start at least one institution by the end of the next financial year. Premkumar has asked the local bodies to set up a school or a rehabilitation centre in this financial year itself if it is achievable.
According to a census conducted in 2017, the district has a total of 22,000 people, including children with genetic disorders. The Kudumbashree Mission demands a BUDS school or BUDS rehabilitation centre in every panchayat and municipality as each local body has at least 100 people with genetic disorders. The schools and centres should provide daycare, special education and physiotherapy for people with genetic disorders.
"Kudumbashree Mission aims to help people with intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy and multiple disorder by helping local bodies to launch BUDS centres. Kudumbashree Mission also supports the local bodies to run schools and rehabilitation centres by providing Rs 25 lakh and other helps to run the schools and centres," said Jafar Kakkooth, Kudumbashree Mission district coordinator.
The district with 106 local bodies, including 96 panchayats and 12 municipalities, has only 23 BUDS schools and 19 BUDS rehabilitation centres. The Kudumbashree Mission's push to start BUDS centres comes after some local bodies did not prioritise starting institutions for people with genetic disorders.
