Kerala Govt. Notifies Guidelines To Ensure Minimum Standard For Therapy Centres For Children With Neurological Deceases After HC Order [Read Notification]

The Kerala Government has issued guidelines for ensuring Minimum Standard for the Registration of Therapy Centres for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurological disabilities pursuant to High Court order.

The Kerala High Court has issued a direction to the Government to take steps to establish Therapy Centres.

The High Court had issued these directives in a writ petition which sought a direction to Government to take emergent steps to establish Therapy Centers for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurological disabilities in line with Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 2016.

Therapy Centres are centres which offer therapies like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychological therapy etc. depending on the nature and severity of disability.

Such Therapy Centres, as per sub-section (3) of Section 51 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Ac, 2016, shall meet such facilities and standards as may be prescribed by the State Government. The guidelines have been issued by the Government for specifying minimum standards for registration of Therapy Centres in Kerala. The objectives, as stated in the Guidelines, are:

• To bring all therapy centres providing services to Persons with Disabilities under a regulatory mechanism by registering before a competent authority notified by Government as per Sec.49 of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
• To ensure that required infrastructure facilities are made available in the Therapy Centres.
• To ensure that professional service of Qualified Therapist is guaranteed.
• To guarantee that service protocol which includes Therapy Schedule, Cost of services, Transparency aspects etc. are maintained by each therapy Centre.
• To ensure that Parents / Guardian / Care takers are orientated on the outcome of the Therapy services and follow up to be made at home.
• To establish a regular monitoring system.
• To ensure that quality of services are provided at affordable cost,
• To ensure that required standard is maintained at all therapy centres.
• To ensure transparency in the services provided while doing therapy
• To document the activities by the centre.
• To eliminate unfair approaches and incidences of abuses of any kind that are faced by persons/parents/guardians in therapy centres.

Case no.: WP(C).No.15436 OF 2017
Case name: SEEMA LAL vs. STATE OF KERALA
Coram: Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly
Counsel: Advocate Santhosh Mathew (Pro-bono) and State Attorney KV Sohan, Adv P. Fazil

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