After its resounding success in Bhavnagar district with 28,549 poorest of the poor beneficiaries and then 16,789 in Banaskantha district Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust continued its humanitarian project by organizing a Patan Viklang Melo from the 17^th to the 30^th of November, 2010.

 This was again a joint initiative of the dynamic Collector Patan and Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust with magnanimous support from various donors and associations of people of Patan inIndiaand Overseas.

 The Patan Viklang Melo was implemented under the Public Partnership model with the aids and appliances schemes of the Central and State Government being incorporated with the project. All beneficiaries eligible under the Government schemes received assistance under the same and those not eligible received aids and appliances from the trust. Thus whoever came to the camp received aids and appliances as per their needs.

 For the first time ever a computerized registration system was installed at the camp site for faster turnaround of the massive crowds and a real time performance evaluation.

 During the camp polio affected got custom made calipers, amputees got Jaipur foot prosthetics, ortho splints and braces were fabricated and fitted at site and crutches, tricycles and wheelchairs were distributed on a need based assessment by Prosthetic Specialists

 The hearing impaired underwent an audiology test in a specially designed and fabricated mobile set up and were provided with appropriate hearing aids.

 The whole project was divided into 5 camps at Patan, Siddhpur, Radhanpur, Harij and Sankeshwar for the convenience of the disabled so that they could come to the location nearest to their residence.

Audiology Test  Van fitted with sound – proof cabins

The project was inaugurated by the Honourable Collector and District Magistrate Patan, Shri J.G. Hingrajiya on 17^th November 2010 at Patan.

 The orthopaedic aids and appliances helped impart mobility to the physically challenged. The hearing aids were a boon for the school children who could now pursue their school programmes as well as the elderly for whom it was a second awakening to the sounds of family,  friends and well wishers.

 The project received a tremendous response because the whole set up was so organized that a viklang who came in the morning left by early evening with his assistive device.

 An awareness exercise was also undertaken to apprise the beneficiaries of the various Government schemes being implemented for their welfare.

Each and every village was outreached through information to all Sarpanchs , Anganwadi network and Patan District Administration Officials. Hence  all viklangs came from all the villages of Patan District to the Five camps covering all Talukas of the District.

 Hon. Minister of Gujarat Smt Anandiben Patel blessed the project at Harij on 28^th November 2010.

 The final statistics of the project were as follows:

This is the the largest ever effort of any district to have a ‘‘District Viklang free project in India’’

 This model of PPPis a great effort of Civil society and Government joining hands for uplifting Health Care and outreaches every corner of the district thus benefiting all. \These district wise projects continue with the next being at Jamnagar from the 15^th to the 30^th of December, 2010.

This initiative started during the Swarnim Jayanti year of Gujarat should hopefully cover the full state gradually.