Healthcare on Wheels
Rotary Club of Bombay Airport, D 3141, joined hands with RCs Bombay Bandra, Borivli, Bombay East, Bombay Kandivli, Bombay West and Capital City (D 3220, Sri Lanka) to present a hi-tech medical care bus to the Colombo Friend-In-Need Society (CFINS), Sri Lanka. The mobile healthcare provides hearing aids, eye treatment and diabetic screening, besides prosthetic limbs to war victims in Sri Lanka.
The members of RC Capital City, D 3220, Sri Lanka, got in touch with the Mumbai clubs and briefed them on the need for a mobile delivery unit to replace the 14-year-old bus which was a gift to CFINS from Princess Diana through her Children’s Trust.
The bus is equipped with modern gadgets and exclusive cabins for treatment of people suffering from eye, ear disorders and leg amputation. It has a small workshop at its rear-end. The Sri Lankan club is in charge of monitoring the activity of the bus.
With this new bus, CFINS will be able to continue with its free limbs fitment camps in the island nation, especially in war-torn areas, reaching out to amputees.
India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Arindam Bagchi was the chief guest at the launch of the mobile audio-visual, diabetic screening and prosthetic limb facility under a Global Grant project worth $145,000. IPRIP
K R Ravindran, D 3220 Governor Senaka Amerasinghe, IPDG Jesudasan, Rotarians from Mumbai and Sri Lanka were present at the event.
Jaipur limbs to CFINS
Since 2014, RC Bombay Airport has been donating Jaipur foot limbs to CFINS annually in partnership with RC Capital City. The Mumbai club has its own Jaipur Foot Centre at Ville Parle East that offers prosthetic limbs to nearly 200 people free of cost every year.
Formed in 1831, CFINS has been doing a yeoman service in the field of prosthetics and orthotics, benefiting thousands of amputees with custom-
made fitments and trained to walk independently.
RC Capital City had assisted the CFINS in the Trincomalee, Bibile, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara and Mullaitivu camps.
At a prosthetic limbs camp in Ampara, 71 amputees were given Jaipur foot with new plastic sockets from Mumbai. “The Bombay limbs are lighter than those hitherto used. They consumed less time for production, less costly and based on Indian technology. Moreover, it is more comfortable as it is tailor-made to suit a patient’s needs,” said Kevin Colaco, Past President, RC Bombay Airport.
