ISLAMABAD, May 18: Federal Minister for Health Dr Abdul Malik Kasi on Saturday said that provision of health care to the disabled was the top priority of the government.

He was speaking at a ceremony awarding diplomas to the 8th and 9th speech therapy batch at the National Institute of Handicapped (NIHD) here.

The minister said the rehabilitation of the disabled was not only a moral obligation but it was an economic imperative as economic development was the indicator of the quality of available human resource.

“The NIHD is required to fulfil its mandate of specialized care for the disabled, research on disabilities and development of data base on disabilities in the country.”

“The NIHD should also ensure proper training of health personnel in the care of the disabled to enable the quality health system,” he said adding “the speech and language therapy are important components of the rehabilitation services for the disabled.”

The minister disclosed that well-equipped and adequately staffed institute had been assigned the functions of the provision of specialist services to the disabled, training of health personnel and others in the care of the disabled.

The minister said a 60-bed hospital and the curative services currently being provided by the institute were just one component of the institute in the first phase.

He said manufacture of artificial limbs and hearing aids would be established in phase second of the project. The training programme of the institute is also being developed and a research programme is being organized, he added.—APP