Jaipur Foot makers to camp in Kabul for differently-abled Afghans

The makers of the famous artificial limb Jaipur Foot on Friday announced that they would hold a month long camp in Kabul in May this year for the benefit of handicapped Afghans.

"There is a target to benefit 1,000 handicapped persons through this camp which will be organized in association with the Afghanistan government," said a spokesperson of NGO Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) based in Jaipur.

The director general of the Afghanistan's ministry of labour, social affairs and disabled, Sayed Hameed Ullah Sadat along with the director of the Kabul's National Institute of the Disabled Fazelullah Mohameddi and the advisor to the deputy minister of health Abdullah Miakhil on Friday visited the BMVSS centre at Malviya Nagar in Jaipur and inspected the making of the Jaipur Foot.

D.R. Mehta, the founder and the chief patron of BMVSS, explained to the delegation members about the technical aspects of the artificial limb making and also explained on how the low cost prosthetic is cost-effective, durable and high-performing.

Sadat discussed the various issues related to the holding of the camp in Kabul with Mehta, BMVSS joint secretary Bhupendra Raj Mehta, CEO S.S. Bissa and the other technical experts.

During the discussion it was decided that the Afghan government will extend all the possibilities for holding the month-long camp in which 25 technical personnel from the BMVSS would go to Kabul to organise.

The BMVSS held similar camps in Kabul in 1996, 1997, 2003 and 2004 with the support and assistance of the Indian government and benefited several hundred handicapped people of Afghanistan.

Jaipur Foot is very popular in Afghanistan because of its durability and high quality of performance.

Mehta also gave assurance to the Afghan team to assist the National Disabled Institute for setting up a special Jaipur Foot section there.

The BMVSS would also provide free training to the personnel in Jaipur.

Three technicians from Afghanistan would come to Jaipur next month for receiving a month long training in prosthetic making.

In October last year, DR Mehta and BMVSS technical manager Om Sharma had visited Kabul to hold talks with the Afghan government on the issue of holding the camp.