Visit to the Chandigarh Spinal Rehab Center
I recently visited the Chandigarh Spinal Injury Centre. It headed by Mrs Nicky Madan who has dedicated her life to this project. The beautifully maintained single floor center has inpatient facilities for spinal injury patients both para and quadriplegic. In fact the Centres kitchen is run by a quadriplegic from Ranchi, who has no limb movement at all. He also manages their social media by typing on a phone using a mouth held stylus. The house keeping is also managed by a paraplegic lady.
The single room was occupied by a quadriplegic girl with her parents, who over the next few weeks will learn how to care for her at home. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the wards and bathrooms, which were all disabled friendly. The large grounds are perfectly suited for wheel chair use and there was even a court for wheel chair basketball. 50 years ago spinal injury patients were left in bed where they would develop bed sores and die from it. Now, thanks to such centres these patients learn to transfer to a wheel chair themselves and enjoy sports like basketball.
Like all such philanthropic centers they are short of funds. Even the present premises is on rent from the Gurudwara who own it. I have suggested that we promote them on social medial so that we can get private donors and CSR funds. Their immediate requirement is 30 lakhs a year. They also need a visiting doctor who can sort out their simple medical problems.
Our team from IHIF will visit at least 3 times a year and hold neuro rehab camps there. Gradually we hope to expand this facility to include patients who need brain rehab.
We often forget that patients of spinal injuries who are paraplegic or quadriplegic and on a wheel chair also need companionship, need to have sexual relationships, marry and have children. All this can be achieved with a little bit of help from us.
Centres such as this at Chandigarh provide food, clothing, shelter and rehabilitation patients some of whom have even been abandoned by their family, for lack of funds.
