Jaipur Foot USA says it wants to provide artificial limbs to those in need in US

Jaipur Foot USA intends to reach out to the American lawmakers and extend its hand of cooperation and partnership to provide the artificial limbs to those in need in the US, its founder chairman has said.

Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a special India for Humanity' event will be held Wednesday in the US Capitol building organised by the Indian Embassy in Washington and Jaipur Foot USA.

Jaipur Foot USA Founder Chairman Prem Bhandari told PTI here that the event on November 20, to be attended by US Congressmen, Senators and lawmakers, will take the message of prosthetic limb organisation Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) of helping those in need of artificial limbs at zero to nominal cost, in line with Gandhi's message of service and compassion towards humanity.

In October last year, then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had launched the 'India for Humanity' initiative under which the External Affairs Ministry will partner BMVSS for holding artificial limb fitment camps in about 12 countries as part of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary commemoration. Bhandari said 10 camps have been completed under the initiative and two camps are running.

He said through the India for Humanity' event at Capitol Hill, Jaipur Foot USA intends to spread awareness and reach out to the American lawmakers and extend its hand of cooperation and partnership to provide the artificial limbs to those in need in the US.

Bhandari noted that significant technical collaboration between Jaipur Foot and eminent American universities such as Stanford, MIT and the Chicago Rehabilitation Institute has ensured that Jaipur Foot is more effective and low cost.

He said the cost of an artificial limb in the US is about USD 12,000-15,000, while the cost of a Jaipur foot prosthesis is about USD 70, which the organisation gives free of cost to the needy. He said if the US government is willing, then Jaipur Foot USA is ready to offer its services to those in need of artificial limbs in the US.