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Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Sri Amritsar in collaboration with the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), Jaipur, Rajasthan, has inaugurated Jaipur Foot Centre,
Sri Amritsar in the Institute campus by the Chief Guests S. Harjinder Singh Dhami, President, Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee, Sri Amritsar and Padma Bhushan Shri D.R. Mehta, Founder & Chief Patron, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti BMVSS, Jaipur.
The Jaipur Foot Center is a collaborative effort of SGRDIMSR and BMVSS, Jaipur. It will provide the world-renowned Jaipur Foot artificial prosthetic limbs, callipers and other aids and appliances to Divyangs. This is the only such centre in the Punjab.
The presence of esteemed guests such as Ambassador Navdeep Suri, Chairman, Jaipur Foot Centre, Sri Amritsar, Ambassador Satish Mehta, President, BMVSS and Dr. Manjit Singh Uppal, Vice Chancellor, Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences, added significance to the occasion.
SGRDIMSR is a charitable society which runs Medical University, Hospitals, Medical, Dental and Nursing colleges in Sri Amritsar serving all strata of society. It has a 1000 bedded hospital at Mehta Road, Vallah, Sri Amritsar and treats thousands of indoor and OPD patients every month.
BMVSS, Jaipur, also known as the Jaipur Foot organization, is a charity society established in 1975 by Shri D R Mehta. Since its inception it has provided over 24 lakh Jaipur Foot Artificial limbs, callipers and other aid’s & appliances to Divyangs free of cost to them.
In his inaugural speech, S. Harjinder Singh Dhami applauded the start of Jaipur Foot Centre in Sri Amritsar and congratulated the leadership of SGRDIMSR for taking this initiative. He hoped that the Centre would soon extend its coverage to all of Punjab and assured his full support in this regard.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri D.R. Mehta, said that BMVSS is delighted at partnering with a reputed organization like SGRDIMSR and thanked it for the support BMVSS has received from it. Opening of the Centre in the holy city of Amritsar is special for BMVSS, which has 35 other centres across India.
BMVSS, established in 1975 just celebrated its 50th anniversary. He was happy to share that Jaipur foot is the most used artificial limb in the world and BMVSS is the world’s largest organisation for rehabilitation of lower limb amputees.
The Jaipur Foot technology was unique and particularly ideal for the developing countries and Eastern traditions. A person using Jaipur Foot below knee limb can walk, run, climb, swim, squat, dance, drive a car or motorcycle and lead a normal life.
It can be worn with or without shoes. The Jaipur Knee joint was developed by world famous Stanford University of the US and the Time Magazine hailed it as one of the 50 best inventions of 2009.
He thanked SGRDIMSR for partnering with BMVSS and lauded the role of its Dean Dr. A P Singh for his efforts and support in establishing the centre. He also thanked the leadership of HDFC bank and Ambassador Suri for their support.
Ambassador Navdeep Suri, Chairman, Jaipur Foot Centre, Sri Amritsar hailed the opening of the Centre, which he said was much needed in Punjab. He reminisced about his old association with BMVSS and expressed his delight at now becoming a part of it. He said that the centre embodies the sikh ethos of “Sarbat da Bhala”.
Ambassador Satish Mehta, President of BMVSS, said that BMVSS has not restricted its assistance only to people of India. In the true spirit of Vasudevaya Kutumbkham, since 1986, it has been serving divyangs in developing countries around the world. So far it has undertaken 114 camps in 44 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin & South America and Pacific Islands rehabilitating over 44,000 divyangs.
He expressed his deep gratitude to Ministry of External Affairs for enabling BMVSS to provide Jaipur Foot limbs in 23 countries in the last 7 years under it’s ‘India for Humanity’ programme.
Shri Lalit Batra, Regional Head, HDFC Bank expressed their deep satisfaction in fostering partnership between SGRDIMSR and BMVSS and assured of their support to the Jaipur Foot project. He was delighted that a mobile workshop provided by HDFC Bank to BMVSS was being deployed at the centre.
S. Harjinder Singh Dhami also inaugurated the Jaipur Foot Mobile Workshop generously donated by HDFC Bank. The mobile workshop would enable making and fitting of artificial limbs in the interiors of Punjab to rehabilitate Divyangs unable to travel to the centre.
S. Harjinder Singh Dhami and other dignitaries present handed custom-made Jaipur Foot limbs to some Divyangs and lauded the visible transformation in their lives.
Dr. A.P. Singh, Dean, Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences, Sri Amritsar, emphasized that providing artificial limbs to abled is not merely a charitable act but a profound commitment to restoring dignity and enhancing the quality of life for those who have faced physical challenges.
He is also requested all to spread the message of the facility available for providing artificial limbs and callipers so that divyangs of Punjab and adjoining parts of India could benefit from it. He reiterated that all these would be provided free of cost to beneficiaries.
The event was graced by notable figures, including Dr. Anupama Mahajan, Director Principal, Dr. Arvinder Singh Sood, Dr. Vanita Sareen, Dr. Pooja Pal, Dr. Jaskaran Singh, Dr. Bhanu Bhardwaj and other dignitaries.
