Patna Sahib Sets Example with Inclusive Healthcare Initiative

The eastern region of Bihar's capital, known as Patna Sahib, has now been declared free of physical disability. This historic area, home to Takht Harmandir Sahib—the birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh—and the ancient capital of the Magadh empire, Kumhrar, has witnessed a quiet transformation.

Nand Kishore Yadav, Speaker of the Bihar Assembly and long-time representative of Patna Sahib for the past 25 years, initiated a unique outreach effort in his constituency. In collaboration with Bharat Viklang Sansthan and Sanjay Anand Hospital, mobile medical camps were organized across villages.

Teams went door-to-door identifying persons with physical disabilities, bringing them in for medical evaluation, treatment, and in many cases, surgery. Deshbandhu Gupta, Chairperson of the hospital management, shared that over 2,500 individuals have received artificial limbs—arms and legs—through this initiative.

Many of them were young children who had lost limbs due to accidents while playing, but have now been rehabilitated and can run again. Bimal Kumar Jain, who founded the hospital 25 years ago with public support and financial help from overseas Indians, said that the Speaker has urged all 241 members of the Assembly to replicate this model in their constituencies.

Notably, the hospital's orthopedic specialists travel every Sunday to attend these outreach camps and provide treatment. This past Sunday alone, 80 surgeries were performed, including that of a 9-year-old student from Amritsar who had been seriously injured in an accident.

Jain emphasized that all treatment is provided free of cost. The prosthetic limbs are custom-made within the hospital itself based on each individual's needs and are offered at no charge to those from economically weaker backgrounds.

Recently, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan visited the hospital, toured various wards, spoke with patients, and flagged off a motorbike rally featuring young people fitted with artificial limbs—symbolizing their return to a life of mobility and dignity.