The Centre for Handicapped offers free prosthetic and orthotic devices, rehabilitation services, awareness raising, business education, health camps and scholarships to physically handicapped individuals. It was then called the “Kandy Orthopedic workshop” and was funded by NIHR (National Institute of Handicapped Research) a US based organization and the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka. With the cessation of support in 1983 the production of limbs and orthopedic appliances began to decline. It was during this time that the Colombo Friend Iin Need Society came into the picture to share its experience and expertise in this particular field. From then on the Kandy orthopedic workshop came to be known as “Colombo Friend in Need Society Kandy Branch.” The Society had changed its location a couple of times due to financial and administrative constraints. It was only in the year 1992 that the Kandy Branch had a permanent location at No 228, Digana Road, Kundasale. Premadasa provided a piece of state land on long lease. NORAD funded the building and the Rotary Club of Kandy together with the International Rotary movement and Rotary Clubs in Sweden & USAID helped in establishing the workshop, wards & office. The Centre was declared open on the 26th September 1992 by the then Prime Minister Hon D. In the year 2001 the Kandy Branch withdrew itself from the Colombo Friend in Need Society and established its own identity as the “Centre for Handicapped”. To date nearly 7,500 amputees from various parts of the country and from different walks of life have benefited from CFH’s limb programme. There has been a gradual increase in quality as well as quantity in many aspects like fabrication of limb, technology used, organizational management, income generation etc. From the traditional Aluminum Jaipur type limb the Centre graduated to HDPE exoskeleton and composite endoskeletal limbs. Technicians have been sent to India for a five-month training programme to learn the fabrication of HDPE Exoskeletal limbs. A team of expatriate Prosthetic & Orthotic professionals from India assist in the fabrication of Endoskeletal limbs. The whole concept of fabricating the HDPE exoskeletal limbs has been changed and a professional flavour added to it for the benefit of the user. The stores have been completely revamped and an appropriate system adapted for issuing of materials. The building has been renovated to include a physiotherapy unit. Patients who come from far off places are provided with transit facilities along with food, all given free of charge. Transport facilities are provided to patients who find it difficult to reach us. The center has also engaged itself in the distribution of mobility equipment on a smaller scale. Moreover the members of the board have been helping the patients in various ways by providing self-employment opportunities etc.
