BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Monday renewed its collaboration with the Cure International India Trust to step up its fight against clubfoot, one of the world’s most common congenital disabilities in which feet gets twisted inward and around.
As per the Health and Family Welfare (HFW) department around 2,000 children in the state are born with clubfoot every year. Many of these grow up with clubfoot and remain physically challenged all their life. Most of them never get an opportunity for education.
Accordingly, the state government renewed its MoU with the Cure International India Trust (Cure India), a national healthcare organisation working in this field, for the use of Ponseti method of treatment in which doctors use a series of casts, gentle movements and stretches of the foot, and a brace to slowly move the foot into the right position.
It was renewed for another two years in presence of Health Minister Naba Kishore Das and other senior officials along with the representatives of Women and Child Development (WCD) and SSEPD departments.
Health officials said the programme was first started in the state in December 2012 through an MoU signed by the state government with the Cure India and more than 5,000 children in the state have benefited from it so far.
Around 110 doctors of Odisha have also been trained in Ponseti technique, while a number of other activities have also been undertaken under the programme. Currently Clubfoot treatment is being carried out in eight east hospitals including SCB MCH Cuttack, VIMSAR Burla, MKCG Berhampur and SLN MCH Koraput.