Eight centres in as many government–run districts hospitals and one at a private hospital have been opened in the state where free treatment is being given to children with clubfoot deformity.

The state health and welfare department has signed an agreement with CURE International India, an international non–governmental organisation, to work in partnership with the government healthcare system to correct the disability caused by clubfoot in Maharashtra.

Speaking to TOI on Thursday, joint director (hospital) of the state health department Archana Patil said, “We signed an agreement with CURE International India on November 17. Awareness on clubfoot deformity and information regarding its free treatment is low in the state. It is important to have a joint initiative at the state level to ensure that the right treatment is provided to every child with clubfoot, thereby eradicating lifetime disability arising due to lack of treatment.”

The eight clubfoot treatment centres have been started at Sub–district Hospital, Bhiwandi, district hospitals in Nashik, Pune, Bhandara, Buldhana, Satara, Osmanabad and state–run Trauma Hospital in Parbhani.

The eight centres became functional from December 29, while the ninth centre — privately–owned Bharati Hospital, Pune — has been functional since the last week of November, Patil said.

Meanwhile, the training of orthopaedic surgeons working at these centres was organised at the Bharati Hospital on December 28. CURE International India currently works in partnership with governments of Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Kerala and Jharkhand to manage state–level programmes. In Delhi, CURE has over 1,900 children enrolled in the government hospitals and in Karnataka over 700 children are receiving free treatment. In India, over 3,500 children are enrolled in this programme.

Providing ongoing training on the Ponseti Method of clubfoot management to orthopaedic surgeons in the state Placing counselors in all the clubfoot clinics with IEC (information, education and communication) materials. The counselors will help parents understand the treatment and will conduct follow–ups

Maintaining medical records for every child enrolled in this programme and ensuring completion of treatment Distributing foot abduction brace free of cost to every child

In India, every year over 50,000 children are born with clubfoot deformity (1 in every 500 live birth) In Maharashtra, it is estimated that over 3,600 children are born with clubfoot every year

Cure International has established a state–level 24X7 Clubfoot Helpline – 887 913 2399