The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Plea to come to the aid of the physically-challenged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 19, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Plea to come to the aid of the physically-challenged

Staff Reporter

Philanthropists urged to join hands with disabled welfare department

A HELPING HAND: Physically-challenged persons at the medical camp organised by a non-Governmental organisation, SMART, at Vijayawada on Tuesday. — Photo: Raju. V

VIJAYAWADA: Assistant director of the Krishna District Disabled Welfare Department A. Suryanarayana on Tuesday called upon philanthropists and non-Governmental organisations (NGOs) to join hands with the department to assist physically challenged people.

He said that the Government departments alone could not help all the disabled in terms of distributing artificial limbs and providing rehabilitation.

If the NGOs and philanthropists came forward to support the Government, a good number of physically challenged people would get the assistance, he said.

Mr. Suryanarayana was the chief guest at the artificial limbs distribution programme organised jointly by Sundaram Memorial Artificial Limbs and Rehabilitation Centre (SMART), a city-based NGO, Lions International and the District Rehabilitation Centre here.

Members of Bangalore-based Mobility India, an artificial limbs manufacturing company, took measurements of the disabled for making the artificial limbs. The limbs would be delivered in two weeks.

Mr. Suryanarayana said that the Disabled Welfare Department was taking up welfare programmes such as distribution of loans, pensions and artificial limbs to disabled persons.

District rehabilitation officer T. Satya Kishore said that specially designed artificial limbs, instead of callipers, would be more convenient to the disabled. The district rehabilitation centre launched distribution of the limbs last year.

"We have got a positive response from the beneficiaries, who told us that the specially designed limbs are more comfortable compared to callipers.

The Lions International is supporting the activity financially, while Mobility India is offering technical support for nominal price," he said.

Chairman of SMART V. Venkata Ratnam said that artificial limbs would be supplied to 70 persons during the camp.

The organisation released an advertisement inviting applications from the eligible. After scrutiny, it selected 70 persons.

Mr. Ratnam said that this was the second major camp organised by their NGO in the last three years. Besides distribution of artificial limbs, the organisation was conducting physiotherapy camps for the disabled.

District governor of the Lions International T. Durga Malleswara Rao and others were present.

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