A lifeline for children with neurological disorders in Dhule
For over two years, the Rotaract Club of Dhulia, RID 3060, has poured its energy into establishing the Samarpan Multi-disability Rehab Centre at the Kasturba Hospital, Dhule, Maharashtra.
“Back then, Dhule had no dedicated facility to treat children with neurological disorders. Parents had to travel all the way to Mumbai, Pune or Indore to access specialised therapy,” recalls past president Veeram Shah, who is deeply invested in the project from the time it was conceptualised in 2023.
For more than 15 years, Dr Anaita Negde, a renowned paediatric neurologist from the Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, conducted medical camps in Dhule every six months. Over three intensive days, children were examined, diagnostic tests like CT scans and MRIs were done free of cost, and treatments ranging from medications to surgeries were offered. “Seeing the large number of children being brought to the camps, Dr Anaita suggested setting up a rehabilitation centre in Dhule. Our parent club, RC Dhule, supported the idea wholeheartedly and encouraged us to join in,” he says. With her guidance, equipment was installed and staff trained to deliver specialised care.
Inaugurated in March this year, the centre, the first-of-its-kind in North Maharashtra, caters to children up to 18 years of age diagnosed with autism, neuromuscular conditions, ADHD, and visual and auditory disorders, while also providing counselling for their families. Setting it up cost about ₹1 crore.
Rajesh Bhatwal, a past president of RC Dhulia and a former Rotaractor, significantly supports the centre through his corporate Nitiraj Engineers. He remembers how heartbreaking it was to see parents wait six months or more between camps. “That’s when we decided that Dhule needed a permanent centre.” Veeram’s father, Pradeep Shah, also a past president and CSR head at his company, shared the same passion, and “together we made it happen.”
To streamline support, the Rotary Club of Dhule Charitable Trust was formed. Other partners include the Matruseva Sangh, Kamal Udwadia Foundation, where Dr Anaita is a director; State Bank of India and 360 One Asset Management.
The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art devices and therapies: EEG testing to detect abnormalities in the brain, BERA testing to check hearing and nerve function, audiometry testing, and speech and vision therapy, orthotics and prosthetics are offered. Virtual reality sensory integration session enhances sensory processing, and occupational therapy provides livelihood skills for the older children.
Importantly, services are free for underprivileged families and cost as little as ₹100 per session for others, compared to ₹400–500 elsewhere. With 400–500 children visiting every month and 20–25 sessions conducted daily, the centre’s running cost is about ₹11,000 per day. “Thanks to social media campaigns and 365 committed donors, the centre has never faced a fund crunch,” smiles Veeram.
The Rotaract Club of Dhulia, chartered in 1969 and now 50 members strong, also runs Project Aarogya, another impactful initiative. For the past five years, the club has ensured essential medicines and health supplements for 100 girls with mental illness at the Sanskar Matimand School. The monthly expense of ₹4,000–7,000 has always been sponsored by an individual member or well-wisher, never by the club itself, says club secretary Palash Agarwal.
To sustain its other community projects, the club organises a popular mega exhibition every December. During Diwali every year, the Rotaractors launch a sweet distribution drive where they deliver home-made sweets and savouries to NGOs taking care of children and senior citizens. “It is an opportunity for our club members to bond as all of us gather in one of our homes and prepare the goodies ourselves,” he says. Cooked food packets are distributed to street dwellers regularly.
