Only a few people in this world have the courage to overcome the trauma of tragic incidents in life and live like a winner despite the difficulties. One such brave heart is 40-year-old Ramkumari Goswami of village Mohbhatta in Bilaspur district.
Ramkumari lost both her legs in a train accident in Bilha, some 15 years back. But despite that, she lives her life like a normal woman, managing household, taking care of her husband, and doing everything just like the way she used to do before the accident.
Ramkumari told that a year after the accident, she got a pair of artificial legs implanted for free at District Rehabilitation Centre Bilaspur. Thereafter, her life was back on track. Now she no more feels sorry for her lost limbs, as the pair of artificial limbs has given her a new confidence to live life normally and happily.
She performs all her household chorus, takes care of her husband who is a priest, cooks the daily meals for her family, and looks after her five children, like a normal housewife, she says.
We met Ramkumari Goswami, when she had come to Physical Rehabilitation Referral Centre conducted at State Resource Centre in Mana Camp, Raipur, for repairing of her artificial legs. This Physical Rehabilitation Referral Centre is conducted under the joint aegis of Chhattisgarh Government and International Red Cross Society. Ramkumari was there at the referral centre, for repairing of the bottoms of her artificial limbs that had worn out.
At the centre, her artificial legs were repaired for the time being and measurements were taken for making a new pair of legs. It is noteworthy that at Physical Rehabilitation Referral Centre, artificial limbs and prosthetic devices are provided for free, and also the other services like repairing etc are provided free of cost.
A worker of Physical Rehabilitation Referral Centre Ranjani Bhushan told that high quality calipers and artificial limbs, (artificial legs, hands, foot insole, ankle foot etc) are being manufactured in this centre since March, 2012. About 30 artificial devices including calipers are manufactured in a month and daily 3-4 patients are benefited by the same.
Bhushan told that generally, the prices of artificial limbs and other prosthetic devices are too high, but here at Physical Rehabilitation Referral Centre, patients of all categories avail them for free of cost. Since March, 2012, more than 300 patients have been provided over 450 artificial limbs, prosthetic devices and calipers at Physical Rehabilitation Referral Centre.
She told that other than accident cases, artificial limbs and arthro/prosthetic devices are also available for the patients of polio, ulcer, deformed legs, etc. She told that there is a standard process of taking measurement of the required body part of the patient and then manufacturing it using fiber seat and plaster of paris.
Soon after implanting the artificial limbs, patients are made to walk on the floor, on uneven ground and they are also made to walk up the stairs, so that their discomfort due to the artificial body part can be examined and fixed accordingly.