MUZAFFARABAD: The Muzaffarabad Physical Rehabilitation Centre (MPRC), which has been transforming lives of people with physical disabilities by offering them free treatment and artificial limbs, is organising a week-long rehabilitation camp in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Haveli district from Monday to Friday.

The camp is being conducted under the instructions of AJK Secretary of Health Services Brig Dr Irfan Ahmed, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Haveli’s District Health Office, said MPRC Director Dr Ahmed Junaid in a press release issued on Sunday.

The MPRC was established by the ICRC in 2007 following an agreement with the AJK Health Department. It was handed over to the Azad Kashmir government as an autonomous institution in December 2013.

According to Dr Junaid, over the past three years, the centre has provided free treatment and artificial limbs to approximately 15,500 individuals with disabilities.

On Sept 20, the AJK Health Department signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ICRC, under which the humanitarian organisation pledged to continue its support for MPRC, particularly by providing materials for assembling custom-made artificial limbs for people with disabilities living in remote areas, as well as along the Line of Control (LoC).

The ICRC’s support also extends to outreach in far-flung areas and along the LoC, staff capacity-building at MPRC, and the initiation of career development programmes for individuals with disabilities to foster social inclusion by providing technical training in collaboration with the Technical and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta).

Most of Haveli district lies along the heavily militarised LoC and has suffered significant physical and material losses during shelling exchanges prior to the renewal of the ceasefire in February 2021.

Dr Junaid said a team of specialists will provide free services to people with physical disabilities throughout the camp, which will be held in Forward Kahuta, the district headquarters.

These services include disability registration, medical assessments, plaster casts for children with clubfoot, corrective footwear, crutches, stump bandages, physical therapy and repairs of artificial limbs, along with treatment for other related conditions, he said.

The MPRC director encouraged residents of Haveli district and adjoining areas in Poonch and Bagh districts to take advantage of the free services being offered during the camp.

Published in Dawn, October 21th, 2024