Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Mar 04, 2008
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Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Mar 04, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Industry & Economy
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Medical & Surgical Equipments States - Andhra Pradesh Calipers going global; Thailand keen to import
M. Somasekhar Hyderabad, March 3 A poor, physically challenged Thai girl who sells flowers for a living can more than double her daily earnings and overcome her handicap thanks to an Indian technological innovation. The light-weight calipers, used to improve the walking ability of polio patients in India, came in handy for her. The Thai girl had to sell flowers from one place due to her handicap, which also entailed payment of rent. Once she got the calipers fitted, she became mobile, thereby selling more flowers, improving her earnings and saving her of the rent. Giving this example, Mr Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Controller (R&D) of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), said the Government of Thailand has shown interest in importing these devices now. The Thai Government had, in fact, got a team of doctors from the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, who from the beginning have been associated with the development of the calipers based on the Floor Reaction Orthosis (FRO), to train some people in the operation of the product recently, he told Business Line. “Our plan is to follow up through some camps in Thailand. They are keen to procure the product, which could be made at Alimco, Kanpur and supplied in due course,” Mr Pillai said. More marketsNot just Thailand, but Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have also been targeted to promote the FRO calipers. Since it was developed, in the early 1990s, by defence scientists and medical professionals, the light-weight, low-cost device has been fitted on about 20,000 children in India so far, he said. Asked why the product was not becoming popular across the country nor the small industry coming forward to manufacture them, Mr Pillai said: “We are talking to Lions Clubs and other NGOs, who could popularise the product and are committed to the rural areas where the device is more relevant”. Finding supportThe Lions Club has sponsored a massive scheme to support one-lakh FRO calipers. The programme, launched by former President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in 2007 would be implemented over the next three years. The Life Insurance Corporation has also agreed to sponsor about 60,000 FRO calipers to the needy. There are an estimated 30 lakh physically handicapped children in India. A good percentage of them are affected by polio. The FRO calipers weigh about 300 grams each compared to polio boots, which weigh a couple of kilograms. To meet the rising demand, plans are on to set up the second manufacturing unit in Hyderabad. More Stories on : Medical & Surgical Equipments | Exports & Imports | Andhra Pradesh
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