In a landmark effort to strengthen rehabilitation services across the country, Kalpataru Projects International Limited, in collaboration with the High Commission of India, the CARICOM Secretariat, and the Ministry of Health, launched the India-CARICOM Prosthetic Limbs Camp at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre in Georgetown.

The initiative celebrates ongoing collaboration between Guyana, India, and CARICOM aimed at improving the disability and rehabilitation sector.
The camp, hosted by the Kalpataru Project Outreach Team, provides Jaipur Foot prosthetic limbs to amputee patients, focusing on restoring mobility and extending access to persons living in the hinterland and other regions across Guyana.

Director of Disability and Rehabilitation Services, Dr. Ariane Mangar highlighted the transformative impact of the programme.
“This partnership has already begun to transform lives, giving persons with amputations the opportunity to regain independence, mobility, and dignity,” she said. Dr. Mangar noted that 35 limbs have already been completed, with plans to fit another 50 by the camp’s conclusion on August 30, 2025. She emphasised that amputees from all regions of Guyana, including Regions One, Two, Three, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten, will benefit from the initiative.

The programme also includes training local personnel in prosthetics, ensuring that the skills to manufacture and fit Jaipur Foot prostheses remain in Guyana after the camp concludes.
Dr. Mangar expressed, “Together, Guyana and India are showing how international cooperation can bring real change, restoring mobility, and, more importantly, restoring lives.”
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony underscored the urgency of addressing the needs of amputees, whether due to accidents or diabetes.
“When we talk about these prostheses really transforming life, it’s not a cliché; it’s actually happening. It’s going to change how they view life, and what they’re able to do. Maybe it’s like a second life that you’re getting with these prostheses,” he said.

Dr. Anthony also confirmed that the partnership with Jaipur Foot India is designed as a continuous engagement to reach more patients more efficiently.
Representing Kalpataru Projects, Anagha Poojari described the prosthetic limb donation as central to the company’s global mission to restore mobility and dignity.

“These prosthetic limbs are more than medical devices; they are lifelines that empower people to walk, work, and live with confidence,” she stated, citing similar transformative initiatives in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

CARICOM’s Deputy Programme Manager in Health Sector Development, Dr. Serena Bender Pelswidsk commended the initiative, noting that free prosthetic limbs will significantly improve participants’ mobility and quality of life. She expressed optimism for continued collaboration between CARICOM member states and India.

The India-CARICOM Prosthetic Limbs Camp represents a crucial step in expanding access to high-quality rehabilitation services in Guyana, giving hope, independence, and renewed opportunity to persons living with amputations.