21 February 2013| last updated at 11:37PM
KOTA KINABALU: As awareness among parents on seeking help for their special needs children grows, so will the demand for rehabilitation facilities.
President of a community-based rehabilitation centre based here, Ngo York Kong, said more people were becoming aware of the existence and functions of the facility, and thus wanted to send their children here.
He said 86 children attend the centre, which provides rehabilitation and care for those with Down's syndrome, autism and slow learners on different days.
Speaking to reporters during the centre's Chinese New Year celebration yesterday, he said that running such a centre was expensive as the monthly rental for the house was RM2,000. They also had to pay six staff and other expenses.
"Our centre covers the cost of sending workers to visit children at their homes every Friday. Those kids are either too sick or have no transport to get here," he said.
To date, there are 28 community-based rehabilitation centres in Sabah.
Present at the celebration were Tanjung Aru assemblyman and Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah and his wife, Datin Mary Yong.
Yong presented the first quarter year RM450 allowance from the State Welfare department to each of the children.
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