 |
| |
| The world’s largest mobility camp was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendrabhai Modi |
| |
Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust, Mumbai in association with and supported by several National and International organizations as well as other well wishers had organized a Mega Mobility Camp for rehabilitation of the physically challenged and hearing impaired at Palitana, in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.
The camp stretched over an 18 day period from the 23rd of December, 2009 to the 9th of January, 2010 and was the largest humanitarian project of its kind in the world.
Set up in an over 100,000 square feet of specially erected pandal and auditorium the camp drew an unprecedented response and rehabilitated 16,760 orthopaedically handicapped and another 11,789 hearing impaired thus giving a new lease of life to 28,549 poorest of the poor disabled of Bhavnagar and adjoining districts.
The orthopaedically handicapped beneficiaries got free Callipers for the polio afflicted, Jaipur foot for the amputees, Splints and braces as well as Tricycles, Wheelchairs, Crutches and Walkers. The uniqueness of the project was that a patient who came to the camp in the morning was screened, measured and the prosthetic fabricated and fitted by early evening when the patient left for home in free vehicles provided by Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust.
The hearing impaired patients underwent an audiology test in a custom made mobile van and were given appropriate hearing aids.
The inauguration of the camp by the Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat created an awareness in official circles of the need for aids and appliances amongst the poor disabled and would influence public policy in this regard. In his inaugural speech Shri Narendrabhai Modi also stressed on the need for such humanitarian projects through Public/Private Partnership efforts.
While blessing the camp on Sunday 3rd January, 2010 His Holiness the Dalai Lama also stressed on the importance of such projects and how they could bring about a significant change in the lives of the poor. In his customary jovial style he also interacted with some of the disabled during his tour of the camp and its various departments.
Over 100 technical personnel ably assisted by over 150 volunteers from USA, UK and India toiled for over 14 to 16 hours every day but were amply rewarded to see the smiles on those who could walk on their own artificial limbs or the elderly who could now hear what they could earlier only see. The many disabled who got tricycles had their dreams come true as they could now attend schools and colleges, go for work or pursue some vocation. |
| |
| |
| |
The trust organizes Mobility Camps for the physically challenged all over India. As the name suggests these camp impart “mobility” to the physically challenged.
The following activities are undertaken in these camps: |
| |
- Free fitting of Jaipur foot prosthetic to amputees
- Free Callipers to impart mobility to Polio affected children
- Free fitting of made to measure supporting splints, moulded jackets, spinal braces,tibia braces and artificial hands to OH patients as per their individual requirements.
- Free distribution of Tricycles and Wheelchairs (for both adults and children) along with crutches, walkers, blind men’s sticks etc.
- Conducting of audiology tests and distribution of appropriate hearing aids to hearing impaired children.
|
| |
Diagnostic/Screening Camps:
The USP of our Mobility Camps is the pre-identification and selection of beneficiaries through screening/diagnostic camps at selected locations in proximity to the main camps. This ensures that the aids and appliances are distributed to genuine and needy beneficiaries only.
In addition to the orthopaedic screening camps a team of Audiologists are also sent to selected schools and other locations to conduct audiology tests on the hearing impaired children. Based upon the results of these tests Hearing Aids of the appropriate strength (Mild-Moderate-Strong) are recommended for distribution during the main mobility camps.
Geographical Coverage of the Mobility Camps:
Gujarat school children:
For the third year in succession the Education department of the Government of Gujarat selected our trust to organise mobility camps targeting school and out of school children in all the 25 districts and 4 Corporations of Gujarat. The ongoing camps aim at the rehabilitation of orthopaedically handicapped and hearing impaired children.
More than 20,000 OH and HI children have been rehabilitated in these camps during 2008-2009.
Banaskantha District of Gujarat:
The trust has organized several camps all over Gujarat for the rehabilitation of the physically challenged.
The district collectorate of Banaskantha was so impressed by our work that during 2008 Independence Day celebrations they prompted us to make a commitment to free the district from any physically challenged awaiting rehabilitation by 1st May 2010-the Golden Jubilee of the state.
The trust is now organising a series of camps all over the district to keep up to its commitment.
Mobility camps in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas:
For the second year in succession our trust ventured where hardly anyone goes and organized a hectic three week schedule of Mobility Camps covering areas like Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Leh and Kargil including Zanskar and Changthan valleys in Ladakh and Srinagar/Anantnag in Kashmir.
A total of 1304 beneficiaries availed of the free services offered with a Mobile Van and team of technicians/social workers from Mumbai.
Mumbai mobility camps:
The trust continued with its activities to rehabilitate the physically challenged school children and others in a series of camps in different areas of Mumbai.
These camps were organized with the support of the Education Department, Municipal Corporation and social organizations like the Lions and Rotary.
A major camp was organized with support from Belgium which was attended by well known names from the fashion industry and the crème de la crème of Mumbai society.
Permanent centres for the handicapped: |
| |
| In addition to the various camps organized all over the country the trust also has three permanent centres which offer free orthopaedic assistive devices to the physically challenged. These centres are located at: |
| |
- King George V Memorial Hospital in Mumbai which has been active for the last many years
- Dharamsala in the land of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This centre also acts as the hub for various activities in the northern part of the country
- NRI General Hospital at Chinakakani in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh which acts as the base for welfare activities in South India.
|
| |
All the above centres are fully equipped and manned by trained and experienced technical personnel.
MOBILE ORTHOPAEDIC AND AUDIOLOGY HOSPITAL VANS:
The overwhelming response to the mobility camps and the need to provide such services right at the doorstep of the disabled prompted Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust to design and fabricate a fleet of Mobile Vans to render services to OH and HI patients.
Three vans are fully equipped with the necessary machinery, raw materials and technical manpower and move from village to village organizing camps for fitting of Jaipur foot artificial limb to amputees and Callipers to polio affected children.
Another custom made van has four sound proof cabins to conduct audiology tests and distribute appropriate hearing aids to the hearing impaired.
This has given a quantum jump in the number of beneficiaries that could be rehabilitated right down to the village level where no such activity had ever been carried out before. |
| |
| click here to view Total Number of Beneficiaries |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
