Badrul Alam Dulal, Sirajganj Correspondent: It is estimated that 4000 Bangladeshi children are born with a clubfoot deformity each year, with incidence approximated at 1: 900 births. Neglected clubfoot deformity inevitably leads to long-term disability for the child, limited employment opportunities, limited socialisation, and extenuated family poverty . As reported previously, treatment is generally unaffordable for the families, and only due to the beneficence of ‘Walk for Life’ – the sustainable and National Clubfoot Project in Bangladesh since 2009 (WFL) – and its donor and volunteer base, has the global ‘gold standard’ Ponseti method for clubfoot correction been implemented and averted long-term disability in over 17,500 children. Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mohammed Nasim on April 5, 2015 visited the Glencoe Foundation’s “Walk for Life” program in Jessore with 250 beds hospital.

Since 2009 with the joint venture of the Ministry of Family Welfare, the program has played a significant role in changing the lives of 22,000 children.

Free medical treatment: The Government of Bangladesh believes children born with curved leg or clubfoot disease should be provided with free treatment, regardless of their family’s financial situation.

Ponseti method: Children born with curved legs should start treatment within half week after birth. Ponseti treatment is done to fix curved legs. It is a reputed medical procedure throughout the world in clubfoot treatment. In this method, the curved legs are plastered directly – which is repeated every week for 5 to 8 weeks. Later the child has to wear special shoes or braces attached to each other by a steel so that the child’s legs does not get curved. This type of specialty is provided to the children free of charge. The child needs to wear these special shoes for one or three months continuously and after three months when the child is 4 to 5 years old they need to wear the shoes only at night.

Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mohammed Nasim after praising “Walk for Life” program visited the 250 bed hospital in Jessore and met with clubfoot children and their guardians on April 5, 2015.

“Celebration of World Clubfoot Day at Sirajganj 250-bedroom Sadar Hospital:” Sirajganj 250-bedroom Sadar Hospital which is situated in Health Minister’s constituency, is one of the successful clinics in the clubfoot treatment. The activities of “Walk for Life” began in the hospital on November 1, 2011, under the leadership of expert surgeon Dr. Oliul Islam Talukdar, and so far till May 1, 2018, Walk for Life”  program has treated 700 children with 1037 curved legs. Momentaj Sultana, the clinic manager for Walk for Life, provides treatment to the hospital on Monday and Thursday; Contact: 01847067742.

Famous and renowned Ponseti Orthopedic surgeon Fred Dates, Loa University, USA – has visited the “Walk for Life” clinic in Bangladesh for 8 times. He said, “I welcome the activities of the Bangladesh government and Glencoe Foundation’s” Walk for Life “program. “Walk for Life” is one of the most effective activity or program I’ve ever seen in clubfoot treatment throughout the world, he added.

Contact your nearest clinic address: 01847-067730-31; 9855324.