Inventor of the ‘Jaipur foot’ has passed away

In our Bollywood and Cricket obsessed media, the passing of one of the greatest Indians of our time has almost gone un-noticed. Dr P K Sethi confounded the scientific community of the world by developing a simple, affordable answer to people that had lost limbs. While the scientific community all over the world invested billions of dollars to create expensive artificial legs, Dr Sethi was already giving a new life to thousands of people all over the world. People who otherwise would have lived lesser lives with their handicap. Not content with idea just raking in millions of dollars by patenting his invention (which he could have) – Dr Sethi saw his purpose as a much larger one of “serving the people’. His hospital in Jaipur welcomed the poor, and treated them free. He stands as example to the international medical and the Scientific community – who seem to be obsessed with the fortunes they can make through their inventions and discoveries. Please visit the following web sites and thousands others and mark our respect for a great human being
http://www.jaipurfoot.org/
http://www.time.com/time/reports/heroes/foot.html

6 thoughts on “Inventor of the ‘Jaipur foot’ has passed away

  1. Dear Shekhar,
    Media should focus more on Dr P K Sethi and others like him instead of bullshit juicy stories in some corners. If media put more light on people like him, then our country will be producing more constructive people like him in future. Don’t forget media plays very important part in making and breaking a society. Media can be even more dangerous for any country than any existed terrorist organization there.
    Regards
    Sanjay

  2. Dear Shekhar,
    There are a lot of professions that are never really in the limelight and no one focuses on them enough, even though they are extremely important. Doctors (and social workers etc.) are professions about giving, and unless there is some big invention or event they are hardly in the news. As we know these days, news is more about entertainment and spectacle and the items that do not have those traits would probably not make the prime time news. We should recognize Dr. Sethi for his great contribution to healthcare and truly to humanity. I am sure with all the blessings he would have got from the people he genuinely helped, his soul would be pretty happy and satisfied, and that’s what matters in a fulfilling life.
    Best Regards,
    Himanshu

  3. I agree with you Sanjay and Himanshu. But how do we change the media when it is invested in keeping the power structure the way it is because it is owned by big business? The media is very dangerous in spreading propaganda.

  4. Dear Shekhar,
    Such a pity…Having heard you talking in Big Fight in a debate about “Hollywood(vs)Bollywood”, my impression is that ultimately “Money” decides what should be on TV or movies, unless, so called passion and creativity are encouraged. Our Indian media is certainly going through this huge transformation and hopefully soon they would realize it’s ultimately, being a journalist you have to be passionate and accountable for the society and at all costs that should be at prime. Unfortunately, these days every TV news journalist has a director to tell him what&how things should be covered, a musician to make it look better on TV. I don’t have a problem with how a news is conveyed as long as it is genuine and relevant to the society.
    My best hope is that Indian media doesn’t become like US media, where Paris Hilton is more important for media than a soldier fighting in Iraq.
    Shekhar,thank you so much for enlightening us about Jaipur Foot.
    Regards,
    Sree

  5. He was an amazing man. I did not know him personally, but I used to work in the field in which he made such a difference. A colleague and I once were telling each other our future ambitions. I said i wanted to be a writer. My colleage, who is a prosthetist/orthotist, said that he wants to be like Mr. PK Sethi. He was speaking from point of view of technology. Mr. Sethi was an ideal to aspire to for his technological innovation as well as his humantarian work. Thanks for mentioning him in your site. With regards.

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