Ministry Issues Guidelines For Care Of Down Syndrome Children

PETALING JAYA, March 21 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has initiated clinical practice guidelines for medical health workers involved in the care of children with Down Syndrome.
Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said Tuesday the guidelines had been incorporated in a book on paediatric protocols prepared for government paediatricians.
Doctors in the private sector could access these guidelines for free at the website of the Malaysian Paediatric Association, he said in his speech at the World Down Syndrome Day at Subang Jaya Medical Centre here.
The text of the speech was read by the deputy health director in the ministry's medical development division, Datin Dr Rugayah Bakri.
World Down Syndrome Day is commemorated on March 21 and is organised in Malaysia by Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation.
Dr Chua said the ministry had also set up regional generic centres in Kuala Lumpur and Penang to provide accurate generic diagnosis and counselling for families of children with Down Syndrome, which include prenatal diagnosis.
He said in the past there were many medical, political, social and cultural prejudices against people with Down Syndrome which hindered their self-development.
However, most people now believed individuals with Down Syndrome could lead independent and useful lives with access to effective health care, early rehabilitation, appropriate education and social support, he said.
Dr Chua also touched on the importance of monitoring and auditing early intervention programmes for children with Down Syndrome to ensure meaningful service to people with the condition.
"Programmes available are sometimes not comprehensive or not catering to the needs of children with Down Syndrome as well as not sensitive to the need of families who may have financial and time constraints," he said. He said medical health workers also might not be aware of the existence of aid agencies especially the non-government agencies available in the local community.