Institute for the Physically
Handicapped: Making Life Move
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.
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