BHUBANESWAR: The State government has started giving out advanced prosthesis and orthosis to deserving and needy persons with disabilities (PwDs).
While the service is free of cost for those living below poverty line, it is being extended to the rest at a subsidised rate.
The PwDs, who can avail the benefit include earning members of a family, talented students with promising career prospects, youths trained in skills for livelihood and sportspersons.
The State has four Advanced Rehabilitation Centres (ARCs) at Bhubaneswar, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Angul that are equipped for fitting high-end artificial limbs at discounted rates as determined by the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).
The ARC at Bhubaneswar will cover the highest 14 districts including Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Malkangiri.
The Sundargarh ARC will provide services to people from Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir and Sonepur while the Angul ARC has been tagged to Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Boudh and Nuapada. The Keonjhar ARC will cover Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore.
The Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department has directed the districts to create awareness on availability of such facilities in the State.
Secretary of SSEPD department Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma said the advanced prosthesis and orthosis fabricated and fitted by ARC will be approved on a case-to-case basis where the beneficiary’s family income is less than Rs 2.4 lakh per annum.
"Collectors have been asked to recommend deserving cases to the tagged ARCs for artificial limbs and robotic therapy. The poor will get the treatment and advanced prosthesis and orthosis free of cost while the others will get it at subsidised rate," he said.
Outstation PwDs attending ARCs for robotic therapy/fitment of limbs will be provided to and fro travelling and boarding expenses.
People with spinal cord injury, brain injury, neurological disorder, cerebral palsy, limb amputations, joint replacements and stroke patients can be treated at the ARCs.