As part of the “Strengthening Primary Health Care through Participatory Action Research in Tribal Districts of Northern Telangana” project funded by the Vijayavahini Charitable Foundation (supported by Tata Trusts), Affordable Quality Health (AQH) conducted assessments across District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) of three districts of Telangana. The findings highlighted the need to strengthen the capabilities of DEIC and RBSK teams, particularly in early identification and management of the 4Ds: Defects at Birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Developmental Delays, including Disabilities.
To bridge these gaps, AQH, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Public Health Hyderabad (IIPH-H) and Varnam Child Development Centre (VCDC), conducted a structured capacity-building program for DEIC staff, RBSK Medical Officers, and frontline workers, focusing on early screening, referral pathways, and multidisciplinary care.
The one-day orientation session was followed by a two-day hands-on workshop for DEIC teams, which was organised at Hyderabad VCDC. Participants included Early Interventionists, Speech Therapists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Medical Officers, Program Managers, Optometrists, Special Educators, and Social Workers from Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, and Kumaram Bheem Asifabad.
The orientation, held in July at MCH Ramavaram, covered the early identification of neurodevelopmental delays, high-risk newborn follow-up, and multidisciplinary case management.
The hands-on workshop, held in October at VCDC Hyderabad, included care pathway mapping, demonstrations of M-CHAT and DDST tools, immersive observation in therapy departments, and case scenario simulations for integrated care planning.
Participants shared highly positive feedback, noting the clarity, relevance, and practical value of the sessions. Pre–and post-assessments showed significant improvement in knowledge, reinforcing the impact of this training.
This collaborative training strengthened skills and enhanced the capacity of DEIC teams to deliver responsive, multidisciplinary early childhood interventions in tribal communities.
We thank the IIPH-H team led by Prof. Rajan Shukla, Dr. Janani Chari, and others, and VCDC team, and the earlier FCDC team, Dr. Tejo Pratap and Dr. Dedipya, and others for all the support and for delivering these practical training sessions.