Bhubaneswar: Principal Secretary, Department of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD), Bishnupada Sethi has urged PRI members to create public awareness for fabrication & fitment of advanced artificial limbs, calipers and smart appliances (prosthesis/ orthosis) to amputee persons on free of cost.
For this purpose, Shri Sethi has written a letter to Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj and the Drinking Water Department today.
In his letter, Shri Sethi said that the State Government has set up Advanced Rehabilitation Centres (ARCs) for fabrication & fitment of advanced artificial limbs, calipers and smart appliances to amputee persons and provide robotic therapies to Persons with locomotor (orthopedically) disabilities at Bhubaneswar, Sundargarh, Angul and Keonjhar.
The State Government has also approved and taking steps to set up such centres at seven more districts i.e. Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput and Nabarangpur.
Persons with locomotor (orthopedically) disabilities can be mostly rehabilitated through fitment of artificial limbs (Prosthesis/ Orthosis) and special appliances, he noted.
Keeping in view the above, Shri Sethi said, the Government has allowed fabrication and fitment of Orthosis, Prosthesis & Special appliances to all eligible locomotor disability beneficiaries free of cost, irrespective of their family income, on mission mode basis to cover all the beneficiaries.
PwDs not having UDID, PwD ID cards or Disability certificates should be registered and should simultaneously be facilitated for getting the above services along with fitment of appliances, informed the Principal Secretary,SSEPD.
Hence, he sought the intervene of the Panchayati Raj Department Principal Secretary to impress upon the PRI members (Sarpanches, Chairman, Panchayat Samitis, Presidents, Zilla Parishads) to create awareness on this score, encourage fitment of Artificial Limbs (Prosthesis/ Orthosis) and refer the deserving PwDs to ARCs for availing services on priority basis.