NEW YORK CITY (US): The world-famous Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment announced a special camp to provide free prosthetics to the differently abled in Ahmedabad, the capital city of Gujarat.
Prem Bhandari, chairman of Jaipur Foot US, announced at a community event in New York earlier this week that he will provide free artificial limbs to the differently-abled in Ahmedabad, which will also benefit smaller towns and villages nearby.
Bhandari said, “Under the able leadership of our founder Padma Bhushan DR Mehta, so far, over 2 million differently-abled people have benefited through our parent organisation since 1975, including over 100 free artificial limb fitment camps.”
Then camp in Ahmedabad will be organised in collaboration with Bruhud Seniors, a New York-based non-profit organisation. Acting Consul General Dr Varun Jeph, along with key Diaspora members, also attended the event.
“It was my father’s vision to get the community together and this is one of the avenues that helps promote that vision,” Ajay S Patel, President of Bruhud New York Seniors, said.
Bhandari, a prominent voice of the Indian American community, further said that it’s not just ‘Jaipur Foot’, a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below and above knee amputations, but also other equipment like hearing aids, wheelchairs and other medical aids that will be a part of this megacamp for people with other disabilities.
The limb fitment camp in Ahmedabad is not the first such camp organised to offer Jaipur Foot US’ healing touch to the differently-abled. Hundreds of differently-abled people from the North East will soon be provided free Indian-made prostheses, Bhandari said.
Bhandari further shared that he along with top Indian diplomat Harshvardhan Shringla will be visiting Darjeeling in January for possible philanthropic support to the region.
“Former Foreign Secretary Harswardhan Shringla, who hails from Darjeeling and is currently the Chief Coordinator of India’s G20 Presidency, helped Jaipur Foot US set up a camp in the North East two years ago and now again I am travelling to India soon to lay the groundwork for the camp,” Bhandari added.
Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), the parent non-profit for Jaipur Foot US has been actively participating in the “India for Humanity’ initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Under this initiative so far 27 international camps have already been held fully sponsored by GOI and 15 more camps are yet to go BMVSS has helped over 2 million differently-abled people globally through 102 international camps in 41 countries across Asia, Latin America and Africa.
The artificial limbs, popularly referred to as Jaipur Foot, cost the organisation less than a few thousand rupees, and the beneficiaries are not charged a single penny.
Bhandari has been elected president of the leading diaspora organisation, the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA), New York, unanimously for a second term also added that he would be happy to hold more camps if called upon to do so. (ANI)