Chhattisgarh's Rehabilitation Centre giving new lease of life to different-able by equipping them with prosthetic limbs

Raipur (Chattisgarh) [India], May 3 : Physical Referral Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur is playing a significant role in bringing cheers to the faces of differently-able people by equipping them with prosthetic limbs and specially-developed wheel-chair.

Not just Chhattisgarh, people from neighbouring states are coming to the centre for assistance.

With support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), PRRC is providing prosthetic limbs as well as specially assembled wheel-chair free of cost. Moreover, the centre also provides training for the operation and balance of prosthetic limbs.

The centre also prepares special wheel-chair as well as sitting chairs for the rehabilitation of patients suffering from Cerebral Palsy and provides them freely. These chairs enable patients with Cerebral Palsy while sitting, studying and performing other routines of their life.

"The centre prepares artificial legs, arms, calipers and other assistant equipment as per the need of patients. So far, the centre has provided over 5284 artificial limbs as well as assistant equipment to around 3781 patients," said Director of Social Welfare Department, Ramesh Sharma.

Of eight engineers in our team, seven are differently-able, he elaborated.

"We have started conducting camps at the district level and under this camp, the centre identifies people and takes their measurements following which artificial equipment is provided to them within one week," informed Sharma.

Instructions regarding the collection of information related to persons with orthopaedic problems have been given to the assistant director and deputy director posted in each district, said the officer, adding that once awareness about the works will be created then people will approach the centre and draw the benefit of the government scheme.

"Between April 1 and till date, the centre has provided 30 pieces of equipment to 26 beneficiaries," said Sharad Tiwari, workshop manager of the rehabilitation centre.

"Recently, we have taken the measurement of 18 persons in Dhamtari district," he added.

The centre also gives training to differently-able persons regarding the use of prosthetic limbs as well as some exercises, said Dr Fiba Jacob.

Sharing her experience, the mother of an accident victim Annapurna Pandey said that in 2019, her husband and daughter met with an accident following which she lost her leg.

"Few months back, we learnt about the centre where doctors took the measurement of her daughter's leg and made a prosthetic leg. After getting equipped with the prosthetic leg, my daughter is not able to perform all the household work by herself and now a smile returns to her face," Pandey said.

Recalling the challenges in her life, divyang Poornima Sahu said at the age of 5, she contracted polio and since then, was unable to walk properly. During a camp in the Dhamtari district, she got a prosthetic leg which supports her to walk.

Poornima, who was working at a jewellery shop in Rajasthan, said that in January this year, she returned back to her native place in Dhamtari due to the health condition of her parents and visited the centre to get a new prosthetic leg.