78 beneficiaries get artificial limbs

Tiruchi:A beneficiary being guided on the use of an artificial limb in Tiruchi on Sunday.For 53-year-old G. Baskar of Puthur in the city, a congenital abnormality made life miserable. Born without both legs, he has been forced to live with wooden limbs which, because of their weight, do more harm than good.“We were not aware of the availability of light-weight artificial limbs until we reached the artificial limb fitment camp held in the city last week,” says his wife, Gandhimathi.The camp was organised jointly by Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, Rotary Club of Coimbatore Midtown, Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre and the Tiruchi Naidu Mahajana Sangam. Measurements for making the limbs for each disabled person were taken during the camp by the mobile artificial limb unit of the Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre.

In all, 78 beneficiaries, including 14 women and three children got the artificial limbs on the conclusion of the camp here on Sunday.“More than the disability and the ordeals it causes, lack of awareness on advanced artificial limbs has been a major impediment in getting relief,” observed B. Kannan, district chairman of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Midtown, which has started the Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre to exclusively serve such people.The Rotary International had donated US $ 30,000 to the Limb Centre in 2000 for making and donating the limbs in coordination with the Rotary clubs in South India. The next camp would be held in Mannarkudi on August 11.The president of the Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, P. Mahendrakumar, said that most beneficiaries had lost one of their legs in mishaps. They were also trained in the use of the artificial limbs.The service projects chairman of Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, D. Thirunavukarasu, said that the beneficiaries eked out their livelihood by engaging in some trade. The former district governor, J. Sambabu, presented the artificial limbs to the beneficiaries.