An Indian humanitarian rehabilitation programme provided prosthetic limbs, orthotic braces and mobility aids to more than 1,100 people affected by Sri Lanka’s three-decade civil war.
The month-long camp was organised by Jaipur-based Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, widely known as BMVSS or Jaipur Foot, at the Divisional Hospital in Kondavil, Jaffna.
A team of approximately 20 BMVSS specialists supplied 535 artificial limbs, 228 orthotic braces and 400 crutches to 1,163 beneficiaries.
The programme was fully funded by the Government of India and supported by Sri Lankan authorities. India described the initiative as an effort to help people regain mobility, dignity and opportunities for greater economic independence.
The camp demonstrated the growing international influence of Indian prosthetic technology and showed how affordable, mobile rehabilitation services can reach large numbers of people in post-conflict regions.
Responding to the effects of Sri Lanka’s civil war
Sri Lanka’s civil war lasted from 1983 until 2009 and caused widespread death, displacement and disability, particularly across the northern and eastern regions of the country.
The conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam involved bombings, artillery attacks, landmines and prolonged disruption to hospitals and rehabilitation services.
Many survivors were left with amputations, nerve injuries, fractures and permanent mobility limitations.
Following the end of the conflict, thousands of displaced people remained in camps and temporary settlements. A significant number required prosthetic limbs, orthotic devices, crutches, physiotherapy and long-term rehabilitation.
The BMVSS camp was designed to bring these services closer to affected communities rather than requiring patients to travel to distant centres.
More than 1,100 devices provided in one month
The Jaffna camp brought assessment, manufacturing, fitting and basic mobility training together at one location.
The team supplied:
- 535 artificial limbs
- 228 mechanical braces
- 400 crutches
- Rehabilitation support to 1,163 people
This high-volume approach allowed patients to receive customised devices within a relatively short period.
For people who had been living with untreated limb loss or mobility problems, receiving a prosthesis or orthosis could transform their ability to work, attend school, care for family members and participate in community life.
The programme also highlighted how rehabilitation can support economic recovery after conflict.
Mobility is closely linked to employment, education and independence. A prosthetic fitting therefore has an impact far beyond walking alone.
Jaipur Foot combines affordability with function
The Jaipur Foot was one of the principal prosthetic devices supplied during the camp.
Developed in India, the Jaipur Foot is designed to provide a low-cost, durable and functional prosthetic solution for people living in lower-resource environments.
The design allows users to carry out activities such as:
- Walking barefoot
- Sitting cross-legged
- Squatting
- Cycling
- Walking on uneven terrain
- Working in agricultural or wet environments
Its waterproof and flexible construction makes it particularly suitable for users whose daily activities differ from the environments for which many conventional prosthetic feet were originally designed.
The low manufacturing cost of the Jaipur Foot has also enabled BMVSS to provide large numbers of devices free of charge through humanitarian camps and permanent centres.
The programme in Sri Lanka showed how Indian engineering and clinical expertise could be adapted to local needs rather than relying exclusively on expensive imported components.
An earlier camp supported 1,400 people
The Jaffna initiative followed an earlier BMVSS camp held at Menik Farm in Vavuniya.
That programme supported approximately 1,400 people and supplied:
- 1,087 artificial limbs
- 123 orthotic braces
- 190 crutches
Menik Farm was one of the largest camps for internally displaced people following the end of the Sri Lankan conflict.
Many residents had sustained injuries during the war or had lived for long periods without access to specialist rehabilitation.
By bringing prosthetic and orthotic services directly into the displacement camp, BMVSS was able to reach patients who may otherwise have remained without assistance.
Together, the two programmes demonstrated the scale of unmet rehabilitation need in northern Sri Lanka.
Former beneficiaries became prosthetic technicians
One of the most important elements of the BMVSS model is its inclusion of people with disabilities within its own workforce.
Some members of its technical teams originally received prosthetic assistance from the organisation. They were later trained and employed as skilled prosthetic and orthotic technicians.
This approach turns rehabilitation into a pathway towards employment and professional development.
A technician who uses a prosthesis may also bring valuable personal understanding to the fitting process, including awareness of socket comfort, mobility challenges and the social impact of limb loss.
Training people with disabilities as technicians can strengthen rehabilitation services while demonstrating that prosthetic users can contribute directly to the development of the sector.
For India, this model provides an example of how rehabilitation, vocational training and social inclusion can be combined.
Indian prosthetic expertise reaching international patients
Founded in 1975, BMVSS has become one of the world’s largest organisations providing prosthetic limbs and mobility devices free of charge.
Its international programmes have taken Indian prosthetic technology to countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
The organisation has conducted camps in conflict-affected and lower-resource settings where patients often face long waiting lists, limited component availability and high treatment costs.
The Sri Lankan initiative reflected a broader Indian humanitarian approach combining:
- Government funding
- Indian clinical and technical expertise
- Affordable locally developed technology
- Collaboration with host-country authorities
- Services delivered free to beneficiaries
This model has helped position India as an important contributor to international rehabilitation and assistive-technology programmes.
Mobile camps provide rapid access
Humanitarian prosthetic camps can be valuable when existing services are overwhelmed, damaged or located far from affected communities.
A well-organised camp may include:
- Clinical assessment
- Residual-limb measurement
- Socket fabrication
- Orthotic manufacturing
- Prosthetic assembly
- Alignment and fitting
- Gait training
- Minor adjustments
- Provision of walking aids
- Patient and caregiver education
The ability to manufacture devices close to the patient can reduce transport costs and shorten waiting times.
Mobile camps can also demonstrate demand and help governments identify areas where permanent rehabilitation services are required.
However, a rapid fitting programme should not be treated as a replacement for long-term clinical care.
Long-term follow-up remains essential
Every prosthesis and orthosis will eventually require review, repair or replacement.
Residual limbs change shape, sockets become loose, straps wear out and prosthetic feet may need replacement. Children require new devices as they grow.
Patients may also experience:
- Skin breakdown
- Residual-limb pain
- Phantom-limb pain
- Joint contractures
- Muscle weakness
- Gait deviations
- Orthotic pressure areas
- Psychological trauma
A one-month camp cannot manage these needs indefinitely.
Humanitarian programmes are therefore strongest when they support local clinicians, workshops and technicians who can continue providing care after the visiting team leaves.
Clinical records, component specifications and recommended review dates should remain available to both the patient and local rehabilitation provider.
Skills transfer should accompany device provision
India’s international prosthetic programmes can create even greater long-term impact when device delivery is combined with local workforce development.
Sustainable programmes may include:
- Training prosthetic and orthotic technicians
- Establishing local workshops
- Supplying appropriate tools and machinery
- Developing quality-control procedures
- Creating repair and maintenance services
- Building component supply chains
- Supporting clinical education
- Introducing patient recall systems
This approach reduces dependence on occasional international camps and helps countries establish their own rehabilitation capacity.
BMVSS has combined overseas camps with permanent centres, partnerships and technical training in several countries.
For India’s rehabilitation sector, this creates an opportunity to export not only prosthetic products but also training, service models and technical knowledge.
Lessons for Indian prosthetic and orthotic providers
The Sri Lankan programme offers several lessons for Indian prosthetists, orthotists and rehabilitation organisations.
First, affordable technology can reach significantly more patients when it is designed around local lifestyles and available resources.
Second, efficient manufacturing and fitting processes can reduce waiting lists without depending entirely on high-cost components.
Third, humanitarian programmes should include follow-up, repairs and local workforce development from the beginning.
Indian providers seeking to work internationally should consider:
- Whether components can be repaired locally
- Whether replacement materials are available
- Whether the device suits local terrain and climate
- Whether patients can access future adjustments
- Whether local technicians are included in training
- Whether clinical records will remain accessible
The most successful international programmes are those that strengthen the host country’s rehabilitation system rather than creating permanent dependence on visiting teams.
Rehabilitation as part of post-conflict recovery
Reconstruction after war is often measured in terms of roads, hospitals, schools and housing.
The needs of people living with permanent injuries can receive less attention.
Without access to prosthetic limbs, orthoses or mobility aids, survivors may remain excluded from employment and community life long after the conflict has ended.
Restoring mobility allows people to return to work, care for their families and participate in rebuilding their communities.
The 1,163 people supported through the Jaffna camp therefore represented more than a device-delivery total.
Each prosthesis, brace or pair of crutches had the potential to restore independence and create new opportunities.
India’s growing role in global rehabilitation
The Jaipur Foot camps in Sri Lanka demonstrated how Indian technology, humanitarian funding and clinical expertise can be combined to deliver rehabilitation at scale.
The model is especially relevant today as conflicts and humanitarian emergencies continue to create large populations requiring prosthetic and orthotic care.
India has significant strengths in affordable manufacturing, skilled clinical teams and scalable service delivery.
These strengths could support expanded rehabilitation partnerships across South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The long-term objective should be to move from short-term camps towards sustainable systems based on local production, trained professionals and continuous patient follow-up.
A prosthetic camp can restore mobility to hundreds of people within weeks.
A strong local rehabilitation service can protect that mobility for life.
- Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti – Jaipur Foot
- High Commission of India in Sri Lanka
- Jaipur Foot international camps
- Jaipur Foot training facilities
- World Health Organization – Rehabilitation
- International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics