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 Efforts in the right direction
can indeed change one's fate. Earlier, in Bastar, if one became disabled, one had to
accept it as one's fate. But, science has taken such rapid strides that with the help of
artificial limbs and transplantation technique even disabled persons can re-write their
destiny. This was the observation made by Mr Baliram Kashyap, MP, Bastar, today in the
concluding ceremony of Lifeline Express camp at Railway Siding. Mr Kashyap urged Mr Varun
Jha, VP, Tata Steel to speak to Impact India to ensure that Lifeline Express visits Bastar
and provides help to disabled persons in Bastar next year too. Mr Kashyap promised all
help to Tata Steel on behalf of the district administration in making such good
initiatives a grand success.
More than 3900 patients were registered in the camp, organized jointly
by Tata Steel, the Government of Chhatisgarh, Indian Railway and Impact India, out of whom
602 were operated upon. Equipments were distributed among 235 patients, while thousands of
patients received free treatment along with medicines.
Presiding over the programme, Mr Lachhuram Kashyap, MLA, Chitrakot,
described the Lifeline camp in Bastar as a valuable imprint of Tata Steel. He said that
due to poverty in Bastar, persons suffering from diseases and disability are compelled to
lead a miserable life. But, he said, thanks to Lifeline Express and Tata Steel, the people
of Bastar have now realized that disability is not a curse any more. He eulogized the
doctors for visiting interior villages and extending help in bringing such patients to the
camp.
Mr Varun Jha, VP, Chhatisgarh Project, Tata Steel, expressed happiness
at Tata Steel's role in ridding Bastar of disability. He said there are many diseases
which cannot be treated completely and we try to help such people become self-reliant by
providing them three-wheelers or wheel-chairs. But, he stressed, there was a growing need
to launch an effort to eradicate such diseases completely. He said Tata Steel is planning
to launch mother and child -care programmes to ensure that children get proper care
immediately after birth.
Mr Varun Jha said that Bastar does not lack medical facilities but the
people cannot avail the existing facilities due to extreme poverty and the fact that they
live far away from towns. He said poverty is the most important factor for onset of
diseases and poverty can be fought only when factories are set up and new opportunities of
employment are created.
Mr Varun Jha said that owing to a large number of patients suffering
from eye diseases and a time constraint 120 patients could not be operated upon and an
arrangement is being made to organize an eye treatment camp between January 16 to 23 so
that these patients are operated upon.
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