By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington DC [US], May 7 (ANI): India's External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, is to inaugurate a permanent prosthetic limb centre in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, on Friday, a humanitarian venture supported by the world's largest organisation serving people with disabilities.

The centre, established by Jaipur Foot USA in partnership with Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) and the Government of Trinidad & Tobago, will provide locally-made prosthetic limbs to amputees and the differently-abled in the Caribbean nation. Trinidad & Tobago's Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, will co-preside over the inauguration ceremony.

The project's roots trace back to September last year, when Jaipur Foot USA, alongside BRUHUD NY Seniors and Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA), organised a reception in New York in honour of Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, which also marked the birthday of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was at that gathering that Jaipur Foot USA Chairman Prem Bhandari publicly announced the plan for a permanent centre.

Representing Jaipur Foot USA at the inauguration will be Ajay Patel, the organisation's Vice President for International Affairs and chief coordinator for the Trinidad project. He will be accompanied by founding members Dr Sona Ramdath Jr and Amit Alagh.

BMVSS founder and Chief Patron D R Mehta has deputed Gajender Lamba, an expert in prosthetic fabrication, who has already travelled to Trinidad & Tobago to conduct hands-on training for personnel from the country's Ministry of Health. The training focuses on the manufacture and fitting of the iconic Jaipur Foot, a low-cost, durable prosthetic limb designed for use in tropical and rural conditions.

The initiative builds on a successful 50-day camp held in Trinidad last year, during which more than 800 differently-abled individuals received prosthetic limbs free of charge. That camp was supported by the Government of India -- a commitment made personally by Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Port of Spain.

Bhandari paid special tribute to Dr Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, the Indian High Commissioner to Trinidad & Tobago, describing him as a driving force behind both the 2025 camp and the establishment of the now-permanent centre. 'His pivotal leadership and significant contribution have made this lasting humanitarian initiative possible,' Bhandari said.

The Jaipur Foot, developed in India in 1968, is one of the most widely used prosthetic devices in the developing world. BMVSS has rehabilitated more than 2.5 million people across 50 countries, through 120 international camps, making it a symbol of India's grassroots innovation in assistive technology. (ANI)