The ‘United Youth Forum’ says it will submit a new set of proposals to president Ranil Wickremesinghe within the next fortnight for the welfare of persons with special needs.
At a media briefing at Waters Edge in Battaramulla on 16 May, the forum of people with special needs extended an invitation to like-minded groups and persons to join forces with them.
Director general of the forum Praveena Joseph de Saram said both the state and private sectors as well as the general public should treat persons with special needs with due care.
She urged the media to pay better attention to the plight of persons with special needs.
Director of the forum Priyanka Dissanayake said it was important to provide such children with insurance cover, set up one school at every district with facilities and make medicines readily available.
He called for the development of public transport facilities to enable persons with special needs to travel in buses and trains comfortably.
Joining in, Shantha Karunaratne and Sarath Ananda said the country had around 2,500 haemophilia patients.A patient needs hospitalized treatment of between 12 and 18 times a year at considerable expense.
With the new treatments and medicines now available, they can stay at home while receiving treatment.
However, the health ministry has approved medicines to five patients only, they said.
They requested the president to ensure that other patients too, receive the treatment required.
Chairman of United Youth Sudath Chandrasekara too, participated.
