BRAC opens artificial limb, brace-related service centre at BIRDEM

BRAC on Saturday launched its new artificial limb and brace-related service centre on the premises of the BIRDEM General Hospital at Shahbagh in the capital for patients visiting the hospital with the need for brace and limb-related services, said a press release.

The launching ceremony took place at the BIRDEM General Hospital in the presence of professor MKI Quayyum Choudhury, director general, Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) as the chief guest. Jonaed Hakim, head, the Department of Orthopedics, BIRDEM General Hospital & Ibrahim Medical College, was also present.

Morseda Chowdhury, director, Health Nutrition and Population Programme (HNPP), BRAC; and Shahinul Hoque Ripon, programme head, HNPP, and head of BRAC Limb and Brace Centre (BLBC), attended the event on behalf of BRAC.

Over 200 participants including heads of other departments, senior physicians and specialists were present at the launching programme.

BIRDEM director general professor MKI Quayyum Choudhury expressed delight at the opening of the artificial limb and brace centre, saying from now on availing of artificial limb and brace-related quality services will be easier for patients who visit this hospital. “Now we are accommodating an outlet but we have a plan to establish a full-fledged artificial limb and brace centre and workshop on BIRDEM premises. Our partnership will be stronger in future,” said the DG.

BRAC director Morseda Chowdhury gave an overview of BRAC’s health programme, while outlining the gradual expansion of its partnerships with the government health services. “Up till December 2021, BRAC had been providing artificial limb and brace-related services from its own centre. We had entered into a partnership with the government to establish a limb and brace centre and workshop in the compound of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS). That centre has already proved its capacity to provide quality services to the patients. In future we hope to further extend our partnerships with other public hospitals,” said Morseda Chowdhury.

In December 2021, BRAC, in collaboration with SHNIBPS established an artificial limb and brace centre in its premises that has been providing quality prosthetics-related services to severely injured fire survivors. BLBC operating since 2000, provides user-friendly quality prosthetics, orthotics and physiotherapy services to amputees and people with disabilities. To date, over 43,000 patients, among them the survivors of Savar factory collapse in 2013 and the Sitakunda container depot fire in 2022, have received these services from BLBC.

BLBC in BIRDEM compound will be open for patients six days a week from 8.00am to 5.00pm. The centre will be closed on Fridays.

Established in July 2000, BLBC aimed to increase the independence of physically disabled persons by providing affordable, user-friendly, high-quality artificial limbs, braces and pressure garments.