When three-year-old Riya Kumari Kushwah went to her school in Birgunj, Nepal, after her accident, she hated one part the most. She could not run and play with her classmates.
For even though her parents, with their limited mean spent over a lakh to try and save her leg after a bus ran over her legs, they failed. Three years later, however, when she ran with a Jaipur Foot, the smile on her face lit her eyes.
Several other at the camp organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)/ Indian Mission in Nepal and the Chaudhary Foundation/ couldn’t contain their range of emotions either.
Interestingly there are many Riyas in other countries who are set to benefit from a prosthetic leg, thanks to MEA initiative.
With a focus on Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy for compassion, caring and service to humanity, the Ministry as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations is organizing artificial limb camps across the globe. And so far around 3800 limbs have been fitted in the camps organized by the MEA across the globe.
According to the officials, the MEA has collaborated with the non-profitable organization Bhagvaan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayta Samity (BMVSS) to organize minimum 12 camps in one-year 2018-18 and to fit 500-550 limbs in each camp.
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So far successful camps have been hosted in countries including Malawi, Iraq, Nepal (twice), Egypt, Vietnam (twice) and Senegal. And a camp is on in Tanzania and then it will move to Syria, Ethiopia, and Namibia and will finish in neighboring Bangladesh before October 2 this year.
According to the MEA there are several proposals that have been received from Indian missions in other countries, and will be processed for 2019-20.
These camps which are fully sponsored by the MEA aim to provide for the physical, economic and social rehabilitation of the differently abled around the world by enabling them to regain their mobility and dignity to become self-respecting and productive members of society. The approximate cost of holding such camps for fitment of 500 limbs is around Rs 1.50 crore.
The campaign `India for Humanity’ was launched last November by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Malawi, as part of government’s focus on Africa.
The BMVSS which was founded in 1975 and is known by its trademark “Jaipur Foot”, and is among the largest in the fitment of artificial limbs. And has enabled over 1.73 million amputees with disability in India and around the world, till date.
The amputees of various age groups from ages between six were provided with Indian prosthesis popularly known as ‘Jaipur foot’, which is easy to use, easy to maintain. The BMVSS in these camps has provided the amputees with artificial limbs, calipers.
Said a top diplomat, “The technology which has been used in the artificial limbs is future-oriented and is also efficient and easy to use.”