CHENNAI: Prosthetic limbs, especially, ‘Jaipur foot’, is a life-changing alternative for anyone. One of the reasons why Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti by DR Mehta is all set to launch the South India Centre with a unit in the city on July 17, 2023, to provide free prosthetic limbs.
The Rajasthan-based organisation provides prosthetic hands, legs, crutches, tricycles etc, and are popularly called ‘Jaipur Foot’. It has been providing artificial limbs for free, after carefully assessing and examining the patients.
S Sivaranjani, prosthesist-orthotist and unit in-charge, explains the process: “We assess and measure the limbs to ensure a good fitting. Later, we also do an analysis to determine the kind of intervention needed. To tailor-make the designs, we measure the patient’s foot to get the exact size and breadth, and do a cast in plaster of Paris.”
The prosthetics are made of polymer and has a lining sheet inside so that it doesn’t touch the skin and cause irritation. “This is important for diabetics, whose injuries don’t heal easily and are prone to infections,” she adds.
After administering the prosthetic limbs, the patient is given training to walk and move the limbs. “We also train those who have never used a prosthetic leg, starting with slow walking, then step walking and other movements,” points out Sivaranjani.
Dr Vinod Surana, head of operations in Chennai, said that the organisation aims to provide 75,000 customised limbs in Tamil Nadu by 2030. “We’re doing 5-7 limbs in a day currently and want to scale it up to 33 limbs per day,” he says.