Health:- Children take little steps towards a better life:

one-and-a-half-years old. Born with congenital talipes equinovarus
(CTEV), commonly known as club foot, a disease that affects the shape
or position of one or both feet.
Six months ago, Jayanthan was given supportive shoes by the Indian Red
Cross Society, and today, hecan take several independent steps on his
own. His grandfather and mother are hoping, that with continued
physiotherapy, Jayanthan will soon be able to run around on his own
like other children his age.
When Jayanthan was born with the disease, his parents took him to the
Institute of Child Health (ICH), Egmore, for treatment.
The ICH in turn, referred them to the Red Cross, which gives out
orthotics or supportive shoes to helpwith the positioning of the
deformed limb.
The on-call doctor at the artificial limb centre of the Red Cross
Society in the city sees patients referred by other medical facilities
from across the State, in need of complimentary artificial limbs and
advises them on the type, design and size of limb required.
Technician Pratap Kumar, who has been making orthotic and prosthetics
forupper and lower limbs for the past 29 years, then constructs the
required artificial support as per the size and type prescribed bythe
doctor.
Another patient, seven-year-old P. Navin Raj, was born without a right
leg and knee. With the aid of aprosthetic limb however, he can now
walk around and is gradually getting better by the day at using the
artificial limb.
While amputee cases receive between 10 and 15days of physiotherapy,
children suffering from neurological and muscular deformities can
perform the given exercises at home.
According to the physiotherapist at the Red Cross, Dr. G.
Theerthagiri, this therapy involves exercises that include electrical
modalities to reduce the pain and strengthening exercises to prevent
further deformity, along with gait training. The physiotherapy ward
engages with approximately 850 cases monthly.
With the help of supportive devices supplied by the in-house orthotic
and prosthetic lab of the Red Cross Society and proper physiotherapy,
a large number of children from underprivileged backgrounds, with
disorders such as cerebral palsy or CTEV can achieve independent
mobility.

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