LUCKNOW, July 11 -- The Prosthetic Limbs and Rehabilitation Centre (PLRC) of Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU) is set to venture into new areas of disability rehabilitation, courtesy six new facilities proposed to begin at the university in the next six months, which will be provided for free to persons with disabilities. These are diabetic and podiatric rehabilitation service, digital technology laboratory, aesthetic prosthetic rehabilitation services, sports prosthetics, wheelchair rehabilitation services and outreach & extension services, said workshop manager at PLRC, Ranjeet Kumar. The PLRC, established in 2015, is the first such centre to be started with support from the department for welfare of persons with disabilities. It has equipment based on advanced technology to provide prosthetic devices to the physically handicapped. The centre can also prescribe orthotics and prosthetics as per the norms of the Rehabilitation Council of India. "Several people with diabetes deal with partial or complete loss of sensation in the feet, making it difficult to feel changes in walking patterns, leading to ulcers in the feet. Ulcers due to loss of sensation can also result in loss of limb. According to ICMR, about 4.8% of the population in Uttar Pradesh suffers from diabetes and 18% is pre-diabetic. As part of the new operations at the centre, we will help in preventing and curing foot ulcers and other disorders through orthotics treatment in diabetes and sports related disorders using pedobarograph machine and foot insole machine," said Kumar. With the help of 3D printing, the digital technology laboratory will make prosthetic limbs by scanning the feet of the person with disability. The aesthetic prosthetic rehabilitation services will enable those working at the centre to make cosmetically natural looking prosthetic limbs which can help those requiring prosthetics to overcome the mental trauma caused by amputation. "This service will enable us to also make artificial fingers, nose and ear prosthetic limbs through the device," said Kumar. After the upgrade, the centre will be able to make high-quality prosthetic limbs such as blade runner prosthetic limbs to encourage persons with disabilities to participate in sports. Besides, the wheelchair rehabilitation services will prevent problems such as ulcers caused due to wheelchairs. "Those requiring the service will receive customised wheelchair services where the pressure on various parts of the body due to wheelchair use will be measured through a pressure mapping machine and adaptations will be made to reduce it so that the disabled do not have to face any more problems while using a wheelchair. Alongside, the centre is aiming to provide rehabilitation services to different sections of society and all the handicapped people of the state through outreach and extension services," Kumar said. "The centre will provide free facilities for persons with disability rehabilitation. As part of disability prevention, we are also thinking of providing free aids to cure flat foot among children," he added....