Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
Trinidad and Tobago will soon host a permanent Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Centre, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced yesterday, calling it “a gift of dignity and independence” for hundreds of citizens living with amputations.
“Through a partnership with the Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Camp, we will be establishing an artificial limb centre in Trinidad and Tobago,” the Prime Minister declared.
“And not just for Trinidad and Tobago, but we can reach out to our Caricom brothers and sisters in the region. Soon, we will have a permanent Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Centre in Trinidad and Tobago.”
She revealed that the Jaipur Foot Organisation had already donated machinery to set up the facility.
“They will set up the camp, and guess what? They have donated the machinery. I’m told it will cost about US$100,000 for this permanent camp to be established,” Persad-Bissessar said to applause.
The permanent centre will ensure ongoing treatment, fittings, and training for amputees well beyond the 50-day programme currently underway in T&T.
The Prime Minister hailed the initiative as a humanitarian breakthrough, rooted in India’s partnership with T&T.
“Today proves that the friendship among nations is measured by the lives we change together. Through his vision and compassion, Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has shown that diplomacy can be written in lives uplifted and futures renewed.”
The Jaipur Foot Artificial Limb Fitment Camp was pledged by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his July visit to T&T.
Within three months, containers of prosthetic limbs arrived from India, and the camp officially opened this week.
More than 800 citizens are expected to be measured, fitted, and guided to walk again, free of cost.
“Eight in ten amputees fitted with the limb regain basic mobility, and one in two return to work or school within a year,” Persad-Bissessar said.
“Even if two-thirds of the 800 beneficiaries regain the ability to earn or study, that is more than 500 people restored to full participation in society. This will ignite a wave of productivity, renewed confidence, and dignity across families and communities.”
Citing health statistics, the Prime Minister noted that T&T recorded 350 to 400 lower-limb amputations each year, largely due to diabetes—the second highest rate in the Americas.
She said, “Too often, a small foot wound spirals into the loss of an entire limb. The economic toll is very severe. A single amputation can reduce a household’s income by 20 to 40 per cent.”
Indian High Commissioner Dr Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit revealed that discussions were already underway to establish a sustainable hub.
“We also have a plan to train the people of Trinidad and Tobago, sending technicians to India for proper training and bringing trainers here as well, so that a permanent centre can be established,” Singh Rajpurohit said.
“This facility may not only serve Trinidad and Tobago but the entire Caribbean region.”
The camp, hosted at the National Council of Indian Culture’s Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas, has already been oversubscribed, with more than 800 persons registered to benefit from artificial limbs and mobility aids.