The provincial government here has distributed assistive devices to eight cerebral palsy patients as part of the celebration of the 17th Cerebral Palsy Awareness and Protection Week that kicked off on September 16.

Paolo Castillo, head of the Provincial Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) under the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, said in an interview Thursday the eight recipients of assistive devices came from eight towns of the province.

“We distributed crutches, quad canes and single canes to identified individuals with cerebral palsy,” he said.

He also said these assistive devices were part of the support provided by the Department of Health (DOH) Integrated Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program Section.

“The assistive devices were provided by the DOH (Department of Health) together with the 80 wheelchairs for the PWDs (persons with disability) and Seniors that were distributed last July 21 during the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week celebration also,” he said.

Meanwhile, Castillo said in Sept. 16, two children have availed of the tele-physical therapy consultation from the Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Unit Therapy Center.

“There are two clients that the CBID Therapy Center had started to cater, however, because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) their therapy momentarily had been stopped,” he said.

He said as part of this week’s celebration the CBID Therapy Center therapist is reaching out to them through online to know their situations.

“On September 21, there will be a culmination activity in Barangay Cabladan in Sibalom,” he said.

The children were found to be suffering from cerebral palsy during the Antique Provincial Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRELEC) last Sept. 2.

CBID therapist Angie Liz Vagilidad said cerebral palsy is a condition wherein there is a compromise of blood to the young brain.

“Among the predisposing factors could be low birth weight of the child, premature or child had meningitis,” she said, adding that the disorder could lead to motor problem and mental retardation. (PNA)