I am indeed delighted to address at the Valedictory Function of Fitment of Floor Reaction Orthosis (FRO). My greetings to the team who have worked consistently during the last ten years to realize the goal of fitting 10,000 FRO to the needy. I am particularly happy that the NATCO Trust has taken the initiative of conducting a FRO camp in Nalgonda and Mehaboob Nagar districts of Andhra Pradesh. After examining over 8,000 patients in 102 camps, the team has found 2069 patients fit for the FRO fitment. I would like to congratulate the member of the NATCO Trust, Doctors, paramedics and technicians for time bound accomplishment of this mission. I would like to share some experiences when I met special people and discuss on the topic "Pain Removing is indeed God's Mission".

My Experience with Courageous Lady Ms. Indira Patnaik

On 27th December 2005 I visited Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research near Cuttack, Orissa. This institute, for the last three decades has been providing the benefits of healthcare to patients with innovative products for orthopedic disabilities, hearing disabilities, congenital deformities and treated leprosy patients. There I met Ms. Indira Patnaik born in Ganjam District in the year 1953. She is the niece of Gandhian Diwakar Patnaik. In the year 1976, Indira Patnaik met with a road accident where the vehicle fell 36 feet below the road. This has resulted in loss of her ankle and fracture of cervical spine leading to quadry plegia. Initially, treatment was provided to her at Berhampur Hospital and later she was admitted in NIRTAR in the year 1978. Due to the dedicated services of the doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists who treated her, she has become near normal and she is able to lead a normal life after a prolonged stay of seven to eight years in NIRTAR. She has strong will power, she believes in God and above all she believes in giving. After her treatment presently she is working as a special teacher in a blind school in Bhubaneswar and has become a source of inspiration for many differently abled persons. Her wheel-chair has become part of her life, but her mind is so powerful. Besides teaching, she is involved in social work and writing. She has translated a Bengali book written by Ashapurna Devi titled "Je Jekhan Chilo" into Oriya with the title "Mohamukthi". Besides, she is writing in many Oriya journals and periodicals. At the age of fifty two she demonstrates that with strong will power and courage; for her "nothing is impossible".

My Experience in Tanzania

I visited Tanzania and South Africa during September 2004. My programme included a visit to Uhuru Primary School in Dar-es-Salaam, capital of Tanzania where an inclusive training is provided to physically challenged children along with other students. Uhuru Primary School set up in 1921 also admits children with multiple disabilities along with other children. This I consider a great social cause.

Prior to our visit to Tanzania, Smt Meira Kumar, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment had sent a team of doctors and experts with appropriate systems like wheel chairs, hearing aids, prosthetic kits, headphones and Braille slates to Dar-es-Salaam. Nearly 500 Tanzanian children were provided the assistive devices like hearing aid, tricycles, folding canes and Braille slates. Our team also trained them for using these devices in their day-to-day activities.

When I reached the school on 13th September 2004, it was a moving sight to see physically and visually challenged children trying to keep in tune with their school mates. A band was at hand playing rhythmic tunes on which the children were singing and dancing to celebrate the arrival of the ability. I realize whether India or anywhere, the abilities provided in an environment of happiness and thankfulness engulfed.

Blossoming of Spirit of Service

In the last two years I have participated in three camps. On 15th October 2004, there was a camp at Belgaum, on 15th October 2005 there was a camp at Loni and now today we are having the camp at Nalgonda. In all these camps I have seen the happiness of the recipients because of the lightness of the FRO which provides improved mobility. Now I would like to share with you how the Belgaum camp emerged.

A seven year old boy Master Bhimappa, son of a labourer belonging to Belgaum District, Karnataka studying in primary school had lost both his lower limbs in a road accident. He wrote me a letter seeking help for rehabilitation. Then three of my friends Dr. A.S. Pillai, Dr. L. Narendranath, Shri. Mayank Diwedi, went into action.

Dr. Narendranath, Orthopedic Surgeon, NIMS, Hyderabad examined the boy ? diagnosed and prescribed bilateral above knee prosthesis for him. Sthree Sakthi of Lions club of Belgaum came all out to help the boy by taking him to Hyderabad and treatment commenced on fitment and gait training. With this prosthesis fitment, Master Bhimappa walked confidently and was able to negotiate distances comfortably. Based on this experience Dr. Vijayalakshmi, Sthree Sakthi of Lions Club sought help for providing light weight calipers to many polio affected children of Belgaum region. Our team of doctors and engineers when into action. Lions club organized camps to screen the children for fitment trial and over six hundred children were fitted with FRO on 15th October 2004. This shows the nobility of heart of all the participants in this mission.



I am confident that the NGOs and Government functionaries in other areas of the country can follow this model. Now I would like to discuss about the rehabilitation of the treated patients for bringing smiles in their faces.

Vocational Training and Job Opportunities

Rehabilitation process should aim at enabling persons to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and social functional level. It has to include measures to provide and restore functions to compensate for the loss or absence of a function. It should include from more basic and general rehabilitation to goal-oriented activities, for instance vocational rehabilitation. It is important to provide mobility to polio affected people through fitment of FRO. Simultaneously, we have to create productive jobs for the treated people so that they may become financially independent.

In this connection, I appreciate the action taken by Sakthi Masala, Erode (Tamil Nadu), who are employing physically challenged persons for many of their production activities. Thirty-two per cent of its employees were physically challenged and they are also rehabilitating mentally challenged persons. I would request the other corporate and government establishments to emulate this model and create employment to all the people who have been fitted with FRO. They can also be provided with vocational training to enhance their skills. I am sure, number of BPOs can be created in the two Districts of Nalgonda and Mehaboob Nagar by IT experts as has been done in Bhimavaram District which I witnessed today. This will be the next important noble action needed for the growth of differently abled people.

Conclusion

Let me share with you an inspirational action by the special children. Some time back, the National Institute for Mentally Handicapped, Hyderabad, had conducted a sports meet for all the physically & mentally handicapped children at National Stadium Hyderabad. In one race, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100 mtr race. At the starting signal, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, others except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back every one of them. One girl with Down's syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better" Then all nine linked their arms together and walked together and finally reached the destination. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. I would say that, you do not have to slow down. Rather by helping difficult areas, the feed back will make you go faster. If you pass this on, we may be able to change our hearts as well as someone else's. "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle".

My best wishes to the members of NATCO Trust and other participants in this programme for success in their mission of removing the pain of the special people particularly in the rural areas.

May God bless you.

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