Jaipur Foot USA virtually flags off launch of mobile van in Gujarat to celebrate PM Modi”s birthday

PTI, Sep 16, 2021, 11:44 AM IST

New York:  To celebrate the 71st birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaipur Foot USA has organised a virtual event to flag off the launch of a mobile van in Gujarat to provide free prosthetic fitments for differently-abled people.

Eminent Indian yoga guru and Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA) Dr H R Nagendra and founder and chief patron of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti-BMVSS Padam Bhushan D R Mehta virtually flagged off the mobile van on Wednesday.

Mehta said “we are doing this on a very special occasion to celebrate the 71st birthday” of Prime Minister Modi on September 17.

The mobile van, with eight qualified prosthetics professionals from BMVSS, Jaipur, will leave for its first destination Vadnagar, Modi’s native place.

He highlighted the importance of the mobile van in helping differently-abled people, particularly amid the pandemic. The van will then also travel to other districts and towns.

Nagendra applauded the vision to take fitment camps to the doorstep of those in need.

He said an artificial limb fitment camp can be organised in Bangalore as well and then a permanent centre can be established at the University premises to provide year-round help to differently-abled people in Karnataka.

Jaipur Foot USA Chairman Prem Bhandari described the mobile van initiative as a “unique and innovative” effort by Jaipur Foot USA and BMVSS to address the prosthetics fitment problem for people from the lowest economic strata of society

The mobile van will be equipped with machines to fit artificial limbs to 7-10 people a day, a press release said.

Bhandari said as part of this mission, BMVSS has committed to help a minimum of 71 differently-abled people, a symbolic number to celebrate Modi’s 71st birthday this year.

The mobile van camp will be inaugurated by Modi’s elder brother Somabhai Modi on September 17 and will be held at Sarvodaya Sewa Trust, Vadnagar, Bhandari said.

New York-based youngster Nikhil Mehta had come up with the idea of the mobile vans.

The BMVSS fitted 31,753 prosthetics in India and 5,783 artificial limbs abroad in 2019-20 compared to the International Council of Red Cross figure, which is 4,839 for the same duration worldwide under the Special Fund for the Disabled (SFD) programme, the release said.