After the army's Artificial Limb Centre in the city, The Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) of PCMC is going to set up an exclusive Artificial Limb Centre within next few months.

The centre, which would witness the investment of around Rs. 33 lakh is scheduled to be opened on March 20, 2004 on World Disabled Day. The centre is expected to cater to over 500 patients and it would also have the facilities of repair and servicing of artificial limbs, informed, Dr. Anand Jagdale, Medical Superintendent, YCMH.

According to Dr. Jagdale, the unique feature of the centre would be that the facility at the centre would be made available to the poor patients, too. He further informed that the centre would also obtain any sophisticated artificial limbs with very high cost, if any such demand or need arises for some patients.

Maj. Gen. S. K. Jain, (retd.), who was heading the ALC unit in Pune, is the chief advisor for the proposed centre. "PCMC will also be getting assistance from the Mumbai based artificial limb manufacturing company for procurement of raw material for making artificial limbs. The advantage of the center, he said, would be that the patients would be able to get the required treatment as well as occupational therapy. A patient would get a limb in a week's time," he said.

Presently only a few private hospitals in the Pune city have the facility to provide artificial limbs.