Colombo Friend-in-Need Society: Looking back at big strides taken in prosthetic limbs
A far cry from a soup kitchen – by extending support with mobility to men, women and children, in numerous homes across the country, the Colombo Friend-in-Need Society (CFINS) has come a long way.
As CFINS prepares for AIDEX 2022 next Sunday, its Vice President Prof. A.H. Sheriffdeen looks back at strides made by the organisation over the years.
Established in 1831 under the patronage of Governor Sir Edward Barnes, CFINS with its motto ‘They shall not suffer’, is believed to be the oldest charitable organisation. Very humble were the beginnings, to give some nourishment to beggars through a soup kitchen, following in the footsteps of what was happening in the United Kingdom (UK).
They also did other charity work but there is no record of it, says Prof. Sheriffdeen, explaining that later came a “little” building at 171, Sir James Peiris Mawatha, Colombo 2, as a Transit Hostel for those who were attending the one-and-only orthopaedic clinic for the whole country at the Colombo General Hospital.
These patients in plaster casts were finding it difficult to attend the clinic. They did not have the wherewithal to pay for lodgings and the CFINS facilitated their stay at the Transit Hostel, fed them and also gave money for their travel back home.
Closer in time around the 1980s, when Kulaseeli, wife of lawyer and politician Paul Perera, took over the mantle of CFINS, her dynamic Secretary was Swarna Ferdinand.
The meeting between Mrs. Ferdinand and Prof. Sheriffdeen was fortuitous. Finding the organisation on an early Saturday morning in February 1985, he had found her seated at a desk deep in thought and on introducing himself she had remarked: “My prayers have been answered!”
Mrs. Ferdinand had been supervising the construction of the workshop building when Prof. Sheriffdeen offered his services to the CFINS as there was a great need for low-cost artificial lower limbs.
Prof. Sheriffdeen as a young surgeon had decided to specialise in vascular surgery in the UK to reconstruct and restore blood flow to limbs and organs, to prevent gangrene (death of tissue due to the lack of blood flow). For, gangrene resulted in amputation. On his return home he had found that awareness of this specialty was inadequate among doctors.
While patients were referred to him from all parts of the country at that time, a fair number who were sent late had to undergo amputation to save their lives as gangrene had set in. These amputees needed artificial limbs, says Prof. Sheriffdeen, pointing out that the Orthopedic Clinic at the General Hospital (now the National Hospital of Sri Lanka), had a prosthetic workshop but were able to turn out only two limbs a month due to non-availability of materials.
Looking out for an institution which would help such patients by manufacturing limbs faster and at an affordable rate, one of his juniors had told Prof. Sheriffdeen that a Prof. P.K. Sethi from Jaipur, India, had won a Guinness Award for Scientific Achievement for inventing a low-cost foot piece and prosthesis suitable for barefoot users. The other information was that CFINS was preparing to send staff to Jaipur for training to enable the setting up of a local workshop.
The Jaipur Foot was different to others at that time, says Prof. Sheriffdeen. The other feet could only be rocked up and down, in one direction, but the Jaipur Foot could be moved in all directions. Women with Jaipur feet were even doing Bharatha Natyam.
The rest is history, with the Jaipur Foot Programme being implemented successfully by Mrs. Ferdinand as its Project Manager, ably supported by Assistant Project Manager Jeanne Samuel and Production Manager Laksiri Mellawa.
With Orthopaedic Surgeons manning many hospitals in the outstations, reducing the number of people seeking these services in Colombo now, the Transit Hostel has been turned into lodgings for those who come to the CFINS for limb fitting. The beneficiaries stay a few days in the hostel which includes male and female wards with all facilities, to give measurements and then until the limb is manufactured and fitted. Thereafter, they undergo physiotherapy to help them use the limb to the maximum benefit.
CFINS has also expanded and now provides the services of a prosthetist, orthotist and physiotherapist.
The workshop with its motto: ‘Low cost and with locally available material’, has been rebuilt and refurbished and three or four different types including a modular limb are being produced currently.
When asked why the workshop is producing only feet, Prof. Sheriffdeen says there is not much demand for hands. So far, it has manufactured around 35,000 artifical limbs.
The CFINS has also branched out in many other directions to help the community. These include support in the form of recreation, income generation, counselling and psychological. While a self-employment scheme is in place for adults, a monthly allowance is also provided to children using Jaipur limbs to encourage them to attend school.
Now the CFINS is hoping to introduce highly-advanced 3D printing of limbs with the aid of the Canadian High Commission, says Prof. Sheriffdeen, urging new and young blood to join the society to take it into the future.