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Free Artificial Limbs Camp in Ahmedabad Set for September 6

Narayan Seva Sansthan and Ingersoll Rand will fit artificial limbs for 271 people.

Hundreds of people who have lost limbs or who live with mobility conditions will receive custom-fitted artificial legs, arms, and leg supports at a major outdoor medical camp in Ahmedabad on September 6.

Organisers say 271 persons with disabilities will receive 291 Narayan Modular Artificial Limbs at the event, while 64 people will receive 87 callipers. Technicians and clinical specialists will fit every device without charging the patients or their families.

The day-long gathering will run from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM along Atal Kalam Campus Lane, near Gujarat University in Navrangpura, with a formal opening ceremony planned for 11:00 AM.

The event brings together Narayan Seva Sansthan, a non-profit welfare organisation based in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and its corporate partner Ingersoll Rand, an industrial equipment manufacturer that backs social welfare schemes across India.

Friday’s distribution marks the final stage of a multi-week clinical effort across Gujarat. Technicians did not simply pull standard artificial limbs from a shelf. Instead, clinical workers measured every patient individually during an initial assessment camp held in Ahmedabad on July 26.

Over the five weeks that followed, specialists in Udaipur crafted each modular limb to match the specific limb dimensions, weight, and residual muscle shape of each individual.

Prosthetic limbs have existed for centuries, from simple wooden pegs to complex modern devices. The modular units scheduled for fitting this week rely on combined Japanese and German engineering designs. These models feature lightweight polymers, carbon-composite sockets, and multi-axis joint systems that mimic natural ankle and knee movements.

Callipers, by comparison, are rigid external braces made of metal or tough plastic. They support legs weakened by conditions such as polio, rickets, or nerve trauma, holding knees and ankles firm so an individual can stand upright.

Unlike traditional wood-and-rubber models that wear out quickly and carry considerable weight, modular limbs can be lengthened, tightened, or realigned as a patient grows or as their walking stride improves.

Receiving a new limb is only the first step in learning how to walk again. A person needs practice, physical therapy, and patience to adapt their muscles to the new piece of equipment.

Narayan Seva Sansthan’s Media and Public Relations Head Bhagwan Prasad Gaur explained that staff will work directly with patients throughout the day to help them master the equipment. Beneficiaries will receive training in walking, maintaining balance, and using the prosthetic limbs comfortably after the fitting.

He noted that the modular designs are lightweight, convenient, and can be adjusted according to individual requirements. Gaur pointed out that the Sansthan’s objective is not merely to provide prosthetic limbs, but to help persons with disabilities move towards an independent and dignified life. The organisation is continuously conducting such camps across different parts of the country to help reduce the physical challenges arising from accidents, illness, or congenital disabilities through modern technology and sustained support.

The Ahmedabad event takes place under the direction of Sansthan President Prashant Agarwal. Gaur added that the camp forms an integral part of an ongoing service drive to make advanced devices readily accessible to families who cannot afford private clinical care.

In India, a basic imported prosthetic leg can cost anywhere from forty thousand to several lakh rupees in commercial hospitals, a sum far out of reach for working-class rural and urban households. Support from industrial partners and private donors covers the total cost of production, transport, and clinical fitting.

Because many beneficiaries travel from distant villages across Gujarat and neighbouring states, local volunteers have set up basic welfare amenities on the campus grounds.

Ahmedabad Ashram In-charge Kailash Chaudhary said that free food, seating arrangements, and first-aid facilities will be available for beneficiaries and their accompanying family members.

Chaudhary stated that prosthetic limb fitting is not limited to restoring mobility; it is also an important step towards rebuilding an individual’s confidence, self-esteem, and independence.

Narayan Seva Sansthan began its charitable operations in 1985 in Rajasthan, originally distributing food packets to needy patients outside government hospitals. Over the past four decades, the charity expanded into surgical correction, vocational schooling, and physical rehabilitation.

The Government of India previously honoured the charity’s founder, Padma Shri Kailash ‘Manav’, with the Padma Shri award for his long service to society. In 2023, President Droupadi Murmu presented Sansthan President Prashant Agarwal with the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Records kept by the Sansthan show that the organisation has provided free artificial limbs to more than 40,200 individuals to date. In addition, its hospital teams have performed free corrective surgeries and medical treatments for over 4.54 lakh people from across India and various overseas locations.

The organisation frames its work around the traditional philosophical motto “Nara Seva Hi Narayan Seva”—meaning service to humanity is service to the divine. Once Friday’s camp concludes, medical teams plan to review the patients’ physical progress over subsequent months to ensure the new limbs continue to fit properly as daily routines resume.