ACHALA COMES BACK WITH ARM FITTED

Law student Achala Priyadarshani who faced an unfortunate situation having lost the top part of her hand as a result of a medical mishap managed to secure an artificial arm from Ottobok Health Care Institution in Germany and returned home to her home in Urubokka, Geegoda.

On the information received about her return home, close relatives of Achala got together to welcome her. This is what she said about her new arm: "After finishing my exam-work I left to Germany with my mother on July 27th. It was Ottobok Health Care Institute that produced the artificial arm.

Sri Lankan representative of that Company Mr.Rizan Nadeer was with us. The institute treated us so well. We were not treated as a patient or customer .... we were treated as one of their own members. I got the opportunity of making a short tour in that country after I had the arm fixed.

The days I spent in Germany became a new experience in my life. The new arm will be of great help to me. Receiving an artificial arm instead of being without one at all is also a valuable thing. Now having an artificial arm has brought me a satisfaction to my heart. I can't even write with this hand ... can touch, grasp anything and take it. Four fingers of the hand are connected to each other. The hand has been produced in a way that the hand could be straightened out with ease. I am able to bend and straighten the fingers with the sensors in the artificial hand according to the manipulation of muscles in the hand. To bend the arm from the elbow I must give some assistance from my right hand.

I have the ability to bend the hand to the extent I want .... to straighten it out and to keep the arm bent to the degree I need. The weight of the hand is about 2 and a half kilos.

To get this artificial hand, the President helped me financially. Sri Lankan Airlines provided ,e with air tickets ... free of charge. For all this, Namal Rajapaksha, several officers of the Sri Lankan Army, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Ministry of Defense helped me in a large way. I thank all of them from the bottom of my heart".

Narration & photos -- Mawarala M.Piyasena