Thiruvananthapuram: A cracker had ripped apart her life two years ago and now 46-year-old Yashoda from Parandode in Tholikkode panchayat is nurturing hopes of standing on her feet again. The authorities of Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital Development Society are trying to procure a costly artificial limb for Yasoda who lost her right leg in a freak accident two years ago.Yashoda, who was working as a rubber tapper, was seriously injured two years ago when a country-made cracker which was meant to drive away wild boars in farmland went off accidentally. “It was a familiar place so I didn’t notice the cracker. I accidentally stepped on the cracker and it exploded. When I looked down I saw a mangled mass of blood and flesh,” she recalled. She was taken to the Medical College Hospital where she had to spend one-and-a-half months and the injured leg had to be amputated below the knee. “After the accident, I couldn’t go for work. My 20-year-old son had to give up his studies and start working as a daily wage labourer. Though the panchayat gave me a bunk shop, I don’t even have the money to buy the provisions. Since my house is situated in a hilly area it became difficult for me to move around,” she added.Seeking fund for an artificial leg she applied to the directorate of the scheduled tribe development department. In September her fund was sanctioned and she approached the physical medicines and rehabilitation department (PM and R) of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and submitted an application seeking the prosthetic leg under the government scheme.“The minister’s office had allotted a fund of Rs 3.5 lakh through the health insurance scheme for SC/ ST. But the artificial limb fitting centre attached to the Medical College did not have required type,” said Dr PS Suresh Kumar, HOD of physical medicine and rehabilitation department. He said Yashoda needed an imported artificial leg which would help her to do household activities. “We decided to call tenders from the manufactures of artificial legs and the case profile with specifications was referred to the hospital development society,” he added.Vijayan an official of hospital development society said that this was the first time that the Medical College was calling tender from the manufactures of an artificial limb as a patient needed an expensive leg.

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