Hemant Kanwar was suffering from post-polio residual paralysis in the
left lower limb. He was not able to walk steadily and had to rely on
others to take him from one place to other. Being unemployed, he also
had to face problems when appearing for job interviews. Facing severe
problems even to accomplish his day-to-day activities, Hemant consulted
the doctors of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically
Handicapped (PDUIPH). Somewhere in March this year, he received a Knee
Ankle Foot Orthosis (KAFO) from the Delhi-based Institute. Now, after
wearing an orthosis on his left leg, he feels a drastic change in his
life. With orthosis, walking became much easier for Hemant. He is
ecstatic that now he does not have to rely on others for support. He
looks and sounds confident as he can now commute to different places
through public transport systems such as buses among others. He says
that the best thing after this surgery is the fact that he gained
immense amount of confidence as now there was no mental apprehension of
falling down while walking. And now he is employed with a Multi-
National Company as an Operations Administrator, where he has to perform
desk jobs as well as attend various meetings and conferences in
different places. Each time he takes a walk without any physical
support, he thanks PDUIPH.
Set up in 1976 as an organisation to empower persons with
disabilities under the Disability Division of the Ministry of Social
Justice & Empowerment, PDUIPH provides out-patient clinical services
in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, apart
from providing social, psychological and vocational counseling services
to persons with disabilities.
It is known that India is home to a large number of disabled persons
from the low-income group. Large number of disabled persons cannot have
access to various benefits of the new technologies and appliances as
they are unable to purchase them. Paying heed to these concerns, the
Government of India decided to make the Scheme of Assistance to Disabled
Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/Appliances (ADIP) of the
Government of India more accessible and more user-friendly, so that the
needy are not deprived of aids and appliances, which are essential for
them. PDUIPH provides prosthetic, orthotic and other rehabilitation aids
under ADIP scheme at minimum costs.
Take the case of eight-year-old Tisham Ali. Tisham suffered from hip
disarticulation since birth. Belonging to a poor family, Tisham’s
disability was haunting his family a lot. His father, who does a private
job, was told by someone to take his child to PDUIPH. After being
examined by rehabilitation professionals in the Institute, Tashim’s
father was advised that his child had congenital limb deficiency and
that he should be given hip disarticulation prosthesis. The prosthesis
was made in the Prosthetic & Orthotics workshop which helped Tashim
to walk comfortably without support. The prosthesis, which was light in
weight and aligned properly, helped Tashim to execute his daily
activities – right from going to school to playing with friends –
easily.
The ADIP Scheme provided by the Institute helps disabled persons like
Hemant and Tashim by bringing suitable, durable,
scientifically-manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances within
their reach. The primary objective of the Scheme is to assist
lower-income disabled persons in procuring sophisticated, modern,
standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and
psychological rehabilitation, by immensely reducing the effects of
disabilities and enhance their economic potential. The Scheme also
include under its umbrella, medical/surgical correction and
intervention, which is essential before fitment of aids and appliances.
It is to be noted that a disabled person should be certified by a
registered medical practitioner that he/she is disabled and fit to use
prescribed aid/appliance, so that he/she can be eligible for assistance
under ADIP Scheme.
The Institute for the Physically Handicapped (IPH) provides all types
of prosthetic and orthotic devices; mobility aids like tricycles,
wheelchairs, crutches walking sticks and walking frames/rotators; all
types of surgical footwears and MCR chappals; special mobility aids for
visually disabled people with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy like
adapted walkers; and various types of hearing aids, under the ADIP
Scheme to the disabled individuals. An occupational therapist, Jitendra
Kumar was facing difficulties in standing, walking and performing his
daily activities due to his shortened lower limb. After an assessment in
IPH, an extended lower limb prosthesis was designed, fabricated and
fitted to him. With the help of the prosthesis, Jitendra is able to
drive vehicles, and he has become fully independent. He is now leading a
successful life and contributing to the society by rehabilitating
patients and person with disabilities.
In this manner, the Institute for the Physically Handicapped improves
and enhances the quality of life of the disabled persons. It also gives
them confidence to face the everyday challenges of their life. It also
helps the disabled persons become earning members of their family, hence
making them achieve economic self-dependence and also be able to live
and pursue their activities with dignity.
Source : Northern Voices Online , 17th June 2013
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