Kathmandu (ICRC) – On top of the physical pain and mental trauma, losing a body part means a lifetime of dependency.
In Nepal, hundreds of people have lost an arm or leg to conflict, accident or disease, but many have been able to resume normal life after receiving an artificial limb.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today launched a five-day "Amputee follow-up camp" in Butwal (Rupandehi district). Organized in collaboration with Partnership for New Life, Green Pastures Hospital, Pokhara and the Nepal Red Cross Society, the camp is an opportunity for more than 80 people to have their artificial limbs checked, adjusted and repaired. The participants come from four surrounding districts: Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Palpa and Kapilbastu.
"With time, a person's height and weight changes, so artificial limbs have to be modified accordingly. At some point, the limb will need repair or replacement," explained Jagadish Shrestha, who is head of the ICRC health department in Nepal. It is difficult for many people to make use of physical rehabilitation services in Nepal because of the distances involved and the cost. "Most of the patients at the camp come from poor families, so the ICRC covers the participants' repair, travel, accommodation and food costs," added Shrestha.
The ICRC has been running a physical rehabilitation programme for disabled people in Nepal since 2004. Currently, the organization supports two facilities: the Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara and the Rehabilitation Centre run by the Nepalese Army in Kathmandu. Both facilities offer quality physical rehabilitation services to people with a mobility impairment. If the loss of a limb or other disability is connected with conflict, the ICRC pays for the service. In other cases, people contribute according to their means.
For further information, please contact:
Rafiullah Qureshi, ICRC Kathmandu, tel: +977 1 4482285 or +977 98510 34638
