Rotary Club of Bombay Worli

President, Sandeep Shah, sandeep@nashah.com

Centennial Year Project:

Project for Physically Challenged persons at the All India Institute of Physical medicine and Rehabilitation Center, Haji Ali, Mumbai.

The details are as follows:

All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the one of the few Institutions undertaking the Rehabilitation of the physically challenged persons of all age groups and from all parts of the country. It was set up as a pilot project in 1955 and the administrative control was taken over by the Government in the year 1961.

The treatment is given free of cost and the appliances are provided at subsidized rates. Though the institution is catering to the needs of the patients by supplying the necessary gadgets but the post treatment facilities, vocational/motivational help to patients/their relatives etc are inadequate.

Our club has planned to focus its attention on this Institute and do a few very valuable projects with these select communities in mind. There are over 400,000 physically challenged persons in the city of Mumbai and though no fresh incidence of polio victims are occurring, the increase in physically challenged is due to diabetes resulting in gangrene and consequent amputation, road and industrial accidents, deformity due to malnutrition etc.

Considering the vast geographical area and spread out of the patients coupled with very poor transport facilities for the physically challenged as well as need to create employment potential for such persons, the following projects has been planned:

1. Setting up a mobile domiciliary rehabilitation cum repair van to go round the western and eastern suburbs of Mumbai, providing transport for patients visiting the Institute for therapy, follow up etc. Currently the transportation system in Mumbai are not user friendly for physically challenged – wheel chairs cannot be transported into public transport system, absence of ramps in most of the places including in the railway stations etc.  Based on the International concept of “Service at Doorstep”, the van will carry the technical staff (occupational therapist, physiotherapist, Orthotist, Prosthetic and Orthotic Techinician) to the defined areas for domiciliary services like rehabilitation for the severely disabled and provide repairs, measurements and delivery of prosthesis and orthosis in those areas.

2. Setting up a Rotary help Desk manned by the person who has been beneficiary of Rotary efforts at the Institute will be set up with a toll free number and will register patients for domiciliary services, co ordinate with the sister clubs and the Institute and the van and monitor the service. It will also provide information concerning mobility aids, welfare schemes of various charitable institutions, concessions offered by the government bodies etc.

3. Video clippings of physically challenged persons who have successfully rehabilitated themselves will be screened in a specially set up waiting room for patients coming for their rehabilitation or fitting of prosthesis. This will act as Motivation for patients and their relatives. Additionally videos will be made available which will give practical tips to the patients as to how to use public facilities, climbing up/down the stairs in case special arrangements are not available etc.

4. Setting up of vocational training centre in the Institute and to begin with set up Offset Printing machine and Screen Printing machine. The training center will be imparting training to the physically challenged persons and in the process of training will do inhouse printing work of the Institute as well as the various Rotary clubs including printing of souvenirs. The club will actively assist the training center in getting printing jobs from Companies. The size of the machine has been ordered considering the facilities for printing the souvenir.

Objectives of the projects:

1. Facilitate timely management of the necessary maintenance of the appliances by providing Mobile Domiciliary Rehabilitation Van bearing Rotary Logo. The van in a planned manner will move around the city of Mumbai to carry out repairs to the appliances used by the patients, there by reducing the inconvenience caused to the patients/their Attendants in terms of travel expense, travel time and actual inconvenience of coming in to the Institute for minor repairs.

2. Act as a catalyst in effective patient management both at the Institute and in the Community by firstly providing transport to the needy patients for necessary treatment at the Institute. Secondly provide Domiciliary Rehabilitation to patients who are unable to travel due to physical disability either following stroke or post surgical (Amputation).

3. Assure patients with recent disabilities that rehabilitation can help them in restoring a near normal life style by showing them video’s of successfully rehabilitated patients in a specially set up waiting room.

4. Provide vocational training in Offset Printing and Screen-printing so as to prepare people with disabilities to obtain or retain employment in the above vocation.

Cost to the club for the above services:

• Cost of modification of the Van and the running cost including the manpower needed to run this service.       Approx   Rs. 750,000 per annum.
• Cost of the help desk  Approx        100,000 per annum
• Cost of furnishing the waiting room with TV, CD player, furniture, gadgets for demonstration etc Approx. Rs. 250,000
• Cost of Offset Printing machine   Approx  Rs. 200,000 . Consumables for training per annum Rs 50.000/-

HISTORY OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY WORLI:

Chartered in the year 1987, part of District 3140 and currently having 58 members. DG for 2004-05 is Rtn. Rahul Timbadia.

  For our clubs credentials for doing the project of such massive size:

1.         Stroke Support Group-

On ongoing basis awareness on Stroke by way of regular Seminars, monthly meetings at Lilavati Hospital, paging services for emergency help, etc are some of the activities being undertaken. Over 1500 stroke-affected patients are being taken care of through such program. Many of them have been able to return to normal life as result of such program and in many cases due to awareness campaign, timely treatment has been provided.

2.         Community School (BMC school, Worli Naka)

Adopted since 1995. There are 5 teaching schools and over 6000 students in two batches. In addition there is a night college having over 1000 students.

Our club has provided infrastructure (Toilet blocks, drinking room etc) and maintains the on ongoing basis- Matching grant project done with Canadian club- US $ 30000. Additionally Hobby class, Computer room (our club is pioneers in this regard as far as community school is concerned) has also been set up. On an ongoing basis, providing uniforms, shoes, books to over 800 students (those who are registering the school for the first time. Also students are examined for iron deficiency, programs on avoidable blindness are run (including corrections of refractive errors). Annually on account of various projects over $ 15000 is spent. Last year additional $ 15000 was spent to provide windows to the school. Prior to this costs, the windows were covered with Asbestos sheets blocking the light and ventilation.

Those who would like to adopt a child under “PROJECT SMILE” can donate $ 15 per child, which will cover Pair of uniform, books, raincoat and shoes. This year we will provide a science laboratory (there is none). Also the books for the computer project, which was given last year, will continue this year also.

3.         Cornea replacement project

US $ 50000 matching grant project with RI District 7620- Washington DC and Central; Maryland USA. The project helps the donors to give the cornea and the beneficiaries receive the same (avoidable corneal blindness is taken care of). The hospital now has the state of the art equipments (2 laminar Air Flow, Autoclave, Slit Lamp etc) as also a full-fledged Training Center. The project is located in the vicinity of 5 hospitals and hence the flow of eyeballs has increased resulting into benefit for the recipients.

4.         Books Project

Over 100,000 books are donated by various Institutes from Canada and USA and the same are distributed free of cost to the schools and independent libraries.

5.         Community Garden Project:

The garden at Lower Parel (low income group subarb of Mumbai) was recreated, track for walking, sitting place, garden equipments placed etc. The members of the Rotary club painted the entire fencing with different caricatures. On an average over 250 persons take advantage of the garden every day. The garden has been a recreation place for the old ladies since their own house is too small to accommodate every one at the same time.

5.                  International Youth Exchange

Our club sponsors and hosts every year atleast 2 students each year under the Rotary’s Long Term Youth Exchange program.