NE HEALTH BUREAU
COIMBATORE, JAN 24
City based Elgi Equipments Limited, as part of their CSR initiative, recently donated one wheel-chair and stretcher accessible specially designed Force Tempo Vehicle for the use of differently-abled and spine injured persons at a cost of Rs 41 lakhs to Ganga Spine Injury Foundation, an NGO.
Wheel-chair & stretcher accessible vehicle with lift facility
“The vehicle is the first-of-its-kind in our State specially designed and customised for spine injured patients and differently-abled persons. This will be used for transporting the spine injured patients from hospital to rehabilitation centre, from their residence to the rehabilitation centre for undergoing physiotherapy and other services and also to drop the patient at the hospital or their home. The vehicle will also be used for the differently-abled for participating in sports events by transporting them to and fro from their home/rehabilitation centre to the sports venue. Further, this will be used for their travel to reach vocational training centres/ various institutions to undergo training for undertaking socio-economic activities,” says a company release.
“Since the spinal injured rehabilitated patients has to be transported in a safe manner, the vehicle is specially designed to cater to their needs. It is having an inbuilt lift which enables wheel-chair bound patients as well as stretcher patients to get into the vehicle by using the lift. The lift is having facility of both battery operated and manual. During the transit, safety belts can be used to tie the wheel- chairs to avoid any kind of jerk to the patients. It is also having first aid kit, oxygen cylinders and suction apparatus for emergency care. This vehicle has six wheel-chairs and one stretcher, two caregivers can also be accommodated and is fully air-conditioned,” the statement added.
Muthuraja who was rehabilitated won two bronze medals in the Asian Para-Olympic games held at China during 2023.
Ramesh is a differently-abled who has won Silver medal in wheel chair racing in Kehlo India games held at Delhi during Jan 2024.
Ganga Spine Injury Foundation
Ganga Spine Injury Foundation is one of the philanthropic arm of Ganga Hospital for implementing rehabilitation activities for persons with spinal cord injuries. It houses Ganga Spine Injury Rehabilitation Centre and is situated in the heart of the city in Kavundampalayam off Mettupalayam Road spread over a sprawling two acres of land. It is also involved in research and education in the field of spinal cord injury, management and developing community based program for physical, psychological and socio-rehabilitation and integration for spinal injured patients. It has got facility of 36 inpatient capacity, treating 15 outpatients per day. It also collaborates with various professionals/institutions to impart vocational training, skill building and securing job for them. It also has facilities for rehabilitating stroke and head injury patients as well as those affected with paralysis. The cost of rehabilitation is highly subsidised and affordable to each patient. The mission of the trust is to ensure that each and every victim of spinal cord injury is rehabilitated and able to return to their previous work with social and economic independence.
