Even as King George’s Medical University (KGMU) had assured that long-pending vacancies would be advertised by December, its prosthetic and orthotic unit of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation (DPMR) has been struggling for the past six years with a severe shortage of skilled staff, raising concerns over the functioning of one of North India’s key limb rehabilitation centres, officials said.
Functioning from the Rehabilitation and Artificial Limb Centre (RALC) building under the DPMR, the unit has been operating with only one permanent employee for the last six years. Eight sanctioned technical posts, including senior prosthetist, prosthetic master, prosthetic supervisor, orthotic supervisor, leather supervisor and workshop supervisor, remain vacant, forcing the centre to depend largely on ad hoc staff.
“Since the last retirement in 2019, no permanent technical staff has been recruited for the prosthetic unit,” a senior KGMU official said. In contrast, the physiotherapy and occupational therapy units of the department have adequate staffing, the official added.
The prosthetic workshop, spread over 2,200 square feet, is also congested, limiting expansion.
Despite manpower and space constraints, the unit currently manufactures 83 types of prosthetic and orthotic devices, including artificial limbs, spinal supports and corrective footwear such as diabetic insoles and flat-foot supports. A foot-scanning machine installed three months ago is the only recent technological addition.
KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said the centre was originally set up as a two-storey facility and was merged with the orthopaedics department in 2005-06 to support teaching and training. He said vacancy details have been compiled and the university is likely to advertise the posts by February, adding that a proposal for cadre creation has already been sent to the state government.
{{/usCountry}}KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said the centre was originally set up as a two-storey facility and was merged with the orthopaedics department in 2005-06 to support teaching and training. He said vacancy details have been compiled and the university is likely to advertise the posts by February, adding that a proposal for cadre creation has already been sent to the state government.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, RALC installs around 200 prosthetic limbs annually and produces nearly 400 corrective appliances and footwear modifications every month. Operating on a no-profit, no-loss basis, the centre serves patients from UP, Bihar, Nepal and several major institutions, including SGPGIMS, RMLIMS, Balrampur Hospital and Civil Hospital.