India offers prosthetic limbs to Bangladeshi amputees to mark Gandhi’s birth anniversary

The Indian government is offering artificial limbs to Bangladeshi amputees as part of a programme marking the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka in association with the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), commonly known as Pangu Hospital, and Bangladesh Orthopaedic Society is organising ‘Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Camp’ from Sept 28.

The camp will end on Nov 4 at NITOR.

This camp is being organised under the 'India for Humanity' to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma, the Indian High Commission said.

Around 500 amputees from several parts of Bangladesh will benefit from this camp.

Health Secretary Ashadul Islam and Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das jointly inaugurated the camp on Thursday.

Bhagwan Mahaveer Vikalang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) based in India's Jaipur has developed the cost effective Jaipur Foot for providing a new lease of life to people who suffer from locomotor disability, polio and loss of limbs as a result of accident and other diseases.

It focuses on the poor and disabled by providing limbs, calipers and other aids totally free of cost.

More than 1.8 million people in India and all over the world have benefitted from its philanthropic actions.

A team of eight experts from BMVSS is conducting the 42-day long camp -- its fourth in Bangladesh.

Over 2,290 people have been rehabilitated in the three previous camps in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in association with Moyeen Foundation.