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  • 7 weeks ago
The establishment of an Artificial Limb Centre is earmarked for T&T.

The announcement comes from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as a 50-day camp is underway to provide people with lower limbs, fully funded by the government of India.

She says there are hundreds of amputations in the country annually.

Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00The 50-day Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Camp is being accommodated at the Diwali Nagar
00:06and Friday marked the inaugural launch of it at the Diplomatic Center.
00:10The camp, which has been rolled out in other parts of the world as well by Jaipur Foot,
00:15a subsidiary of the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti of Jaipur,
00:19is now here to benefit the people of this country.
00:22It is being seen as a further strengthening of the diplomatic relations between India and TNT
00:27and comes as a result of talks between Prime Minister Kamala Poussad Bisasa
00:31and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Moody, who visited TNT this year.
00:36Indian High Commissioner to TNT Dr. Pradeep Rajpur-Rohit says the need in this country is great.
00:42And when I argued and when I proposed this camp,
00:47I was told that normally we do for 600 people a camp for a fairly large-sized country.
00:53Why do you need? And I proposed about 1,200.
00:56And we had a series of discussion on this.
00:59And I said that this is based on my assessment being also as a medical doctor.
01:04We see very high incidence of diabetes here.
01:08And because of that, and also that we have above-knee amputations,
01:13pretty large number of amputations,
01:15and I was able to convince my ministry and government
01:20to allocate 800 beneficiaries for this camp.
01:25People are also coming from Grenada and Dominica as part of the 800 beneficiaries which were catered for.
01:31According to Dr. Rajpur-Rohit,
01:33the camp which unofficially began at Anagara on Thursday is already oversubscribed,
01:38and they are in the process to see how others can be accommodated.
01:42Founder and chief patron of the BMVSS of Jaipur,
01:46Dr. Maita says,
01:48people who have lost their limbs are in need of support.
01:51They are among the most distressed segment of the society,
01:57having lost their limbs,
02:00they lost their mobility,
02:02they lost their dignity,
02:04they lost their income,
02:05and they lost their social respect.
02:08They suffer not from one,
02:10but four disabilities,
02:12psychological also included.
02:14Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissassa
02:15expresses gratitude to the Indian government.
02:18Over the next 50 days,
02:20hundreds of our citizens will be measured,
02:23fitted,
02:24and guided to work again
02:26at no cost to them
02:28or to their families.
02:30Again, we thank our partners again.
02:33The Minister of Health
02:34reports 350
02:36to 400
02:38lower limb amputations
02:39each year,
02:41mostly due,
02:42as Excellency mentioned,
02:43to diabetes,
02:44and of course,
02:45there are road traffic
02:45and other kinds of injuries.
02:47With one in six
02:49adults
02:50living with diabetes,
02:52the second highest rate
02:54in the Americas,
02:54he entered an antibiotic,
02:55the second highest rate
02:57of diabetics
02:57in the Americas.
02:59Too often,
03:00a small foot wound
03:01spirals into
03:03the loss
03:04of an entire limb.
03:05The Prime Minister says
03:06it is a serious issue
03:08in more ways
03:09than one.
03:10A single amputation
03:12can reduce
03:13a household's income
03:15by 20 to 40%.
03:17A limb costs
03:2115,000 to 40,000
03:24as he told us,
03:26which is far beyond
03:27the reach
03:27of most families.
03:29She says
03:30eight out of 10 amputees
03:31regain basic mobility
03:33and one in two
03:34will return to work
03:35or school
03:35in a year's time.
03:37The Prime Minister
03:37indicates that
03:38there will be
03:39follow-up care
03:39with the regional
03:40health authorities
03:41and training
03:42for technicians
03:43and clinicians
03:44which India
03:45has committed
03:46to providing
03:46assistance with
03:47to ensure
03:48that the amputees
03:49get the best outcome.
03:51But that's not all.
03:52Ms. Excellency
03:53passed it to me
03:53to make this special
03:55announcement here today.
03:56I want to announce
03:57that through a partnership
03:59with the Jaipur Foot Camp,
04:01we will be establishing
04:02an artificial limb center
04:05in Trinidad and Tobago.
04:07And there are plans
04:08to reach out
04:09to CARICOM countries
04:10concerning this.
04:12The artificial limb
04:13fitment camp
04:14is done by the BMVSS
04:15in honor of Mahatma Gandhi
04:17and his teachings
04:18of kindness
04:19and service to people.
04:21Alicia Boucher,
04:23TV6 News.
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