Madhya Pradesh’s central location and extensive territory make it strategically important to India’s rehabilitation and assistive-technology sector. The state has specialist institutions, government disability programmes and two ALIMCO auxiliary production centres, but delivering continuing prosthetic and orthotic care across its large rural geography remains a major challenge.
The state covers approximately 308,252 square kilometres and, with the addition of Mauganj, Maihar and Pandhurna, now has 55 districts. According to Census 2011, Madhya Pradesh had a population of approximately 72.6 million.
Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Ujjain contain important medical and rehabilitation infrastructure. However, many people live in villages, forest areas and tribal communities located far from specialist services. A patient may therefore receive a device through a distribution camp but struggle to access subsequent adjustment, therapy or repair.
Disability Profile
According to Government of India data based on Census 2011, Madhya Pradesh had 1,551,931 persons with disabilities, representing approximately 2.1% of the state’s population at the time.
Movement disability was the largest category, affecting 404,738 people. The census also recorded 295,035 people in the “any other” category, 270,751 with visual disabilities, 267,361 with hearing disabilities and 127,406 with multiple disabilities.
These figures remain an important baseline, but they predate the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which expanded the number of recognised disability categories. Current need is also influenced by population growth, ageing, road trauma, occupational injuries, diabetes, neurological disorders and improved identification of childhood disabilities.
For prosthetists and orthotists, this translates into demand for artificial limbs, paediatric orthoses, spinal braces, neurological devices, diabetic footwear, fracture bracing and mobility support for older adults.
CRC Bhopal: A Major Rehabilitation Hub
The Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Bhopal is one of the state’s principal specialist rehabilitation institutions.
Established in August 2000, CRC Bhopal provides multidisciplinary services for people with different disabilities. Since August 2024, it has operated under the administrative control of the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation in Sehore.
The centre’s clinical services include physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, clinical psychology, special education, speech and hearing services, vocational development and prosthetics and orthotics.
Its P&O provision covers assessment, fabrication and fitting of prostheses and orthoses. The centre also offers maintenance and repair of aids and appliances, follow-up checks, early intervention and referral services.
CRC Bhopal’s outreach programme conducts camps for people living away from the capital. These activities support disability identification, awareness and connections to rehabilitation services.
CRC Chhatarpur and Regional Coverage
The Composite Regional Centre in Chhatarpur became operational in April 2023. Its location is important for the Bundelkhand region, including communities that may otherwise have to travel to Bhopal, Gwalior or centres outside Madhya Pradesh.
CRC Chhatarpur currently provides centre- and community-based services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, orientation and mobility, special education, speech and hearing support and socioeconomic rehabilitation.
As the centre develops, adding a clearly defined prosthetic and orthotic service could strengthen access across north-eastern Madhya Pradesh. Formal referral links with CRC Bhopal and district hospitals would help patients requiring custom devices or more complex biomechanical assessment.
ALIMCO’s Manufacturing Presence
Madhya Pradesh has an important place in India’s public-sector assistive-device supply chain. The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India operates auxiliary production centres in Jabalpur and Ujjain.
ALIMCO manufactures prosthetic and orthotic components, wheelchairs, walking aids and other rehabilitation products. It is also a major implementing agency for the Government of India’s ADIP Scheme.
The presence of two production centres creates opportunities for shorter supply chains, component availability, technical collaboration and repair capacity within Madhya Pradesh. However, manufacturing and distribution must remain connected to clinical assessment and professional fitting.
A prosthesis supplied without appropriate socket design, alignment and gait training may not achieve its intended outcome. Similarly, an orthosis must be prescribed according to diagnosis, muscle strength, joint range, deformity and the patient’s functional environment.
SPARSH and State Assistance
The Madhya Pradesh Social Justice and Disabled Welfare Department administers disability welfare and rehabilitation programmes.
Through the SPARSH portal, the state provides information and digital services related to disability registration, rehabilitation and assistive devices. Eligible residents can receive artificial limbs and other aids following a medical recommendation through the state’s free assistive-device scheme.
Digital registration can support transparency and identification of unmet need. The next opportunity is to use this information to track the complete user pathway, including assessment, device delivery, training, repairs and replacement.
The Challenge of Distance
Madhya Pradesh’s size is one of the main barriers to equitable P&O care. Residents of districts such as Alirajpur, Barwani, Dindori, Mandla, Singrauli, Sidhi and Sheopur may face long journeys to reach a specialist centre.
These distances are especially difficult for children who need regular orthotic review, new amputees requiring repeated fittings and people with spinal cord injury or severe mobility limitations.
Mobile P&O teams could undertake initial assessments, casting, minor adjustments and follow-up at district hospitals. More complex fabrication could remain concentrated at regional workshops, supported by reliable transport of casts, digital scans and completed devices.
District-level repair points are equally important. A broken strap, worn foot shell or damaged joint can make an otherwise functional device unusable. Training technicians to undertake approved basic repairs could prevent people from abandoning their devices.
Devices for Rural and Agricultural Life
Many users in Madhya Pradesh walk on uneven ground, work in agriculture or travel on poorly surfaced roads. Devices should therefore prioritise stability, durability, affordable maintenance and compatibility with locally available footwear.
The state’s hot summers can increase perspiration and skin problems inside prosthetic sockets and orthoses. Clinicians should provide guidance on hygiene, skin inspection, sock management and gradual adaptation to a new device.
For people with diabetes or reduced sensation, preventive foot assessment, customised insoles and protective footwear can help reduce ulceration and avoidable amputation. Integrating basic diabetic-foot screening into district health services would therefore complement the state’s P&O strategy.
Workforce and Future Priorities
A dedicated BPO or MPO education pathway is not prominent in current official institutional listings for Madhya Pradesh. CRC Bhopal offers several rehabilitation courses, but its published long-term programmes are presently focused on areas such as special education, hearing and psychology.
The state would benefit from developing recognised P&O education or structured clinical-placement partnerships with established institutions elsewhere in India. Scholarships and supported district postings could encourage qualified professionals to work beyond Bhopal and Indore.
Madhya Pradesh already has significant assets through CRC Bhopal, CRC Chhatarpur, SPARSH and ALIMCO’s production centres. Connecting these assets through stronger referral pathways, mobile clinical services and decentralised repairs could create a more complete and accessible rehabilitation system
- Government of Madhya Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh Social Justice and Disabled Welfare Department
- SPARSH Disability Portal
- CRC Bhopal
- CRC Bhopal Rehabilitation Services
- CRC Bhopal Outreach
- CRC Chhatarpur
- ALIMCO
- ALIMCO Centres
- Free Artificial Limb and Assistive-Device Scheme
- Unique Disability ID Portal
- Bharat CPO State Profiles