Internationale Zeitschrift für Physikalische Medizin und Rehabilitation
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Transforming lives in India by providing high-tech yet affordable robotic rehabiliation for neurological diseases.

Abha Agrawal

First of its kind unique and trasnformative project in India that provides high-tech robotics and brain stimualation programs at affordable rates to average citizens. Millions of people around the world suffer from physical and cognitive disabilities due to neurological diseases such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s diease etc.. It is estimated that at least 2.1 million people in India suffer from disabilities. About 2.5% of the population has chronic neurological diseases and 1.8 million people annually suffer from stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability world-wide. Unfortunatly, for people in low and middle income countries (LMICs), this burden is compounded due to poor rehabilittation caused by three factors: (a) lack of awareness that rehabilitation can improve quality of life, (b) lack of availability and access to hight quality rehab and (c) inability to pay for high-tech rehabiliation. A4 Clinics in India is a positive social impact venture to reduce the burden of “unnecessary disabilty” from neurological diseases. We provide comprehensive state-of-the-art Neurorehabiliation program with the following unique features: (a) Advanced yet affordable tech-enabled rehab including upper extremity robotics, non-invasive brain stimulation and virutal rehabiliation (b) Evidence-based clinical protocols that offer the best possiblity of recovery (c) Rigorous methodology for quality control. In our two operational clinics in tier-2 cities, to date we have provided successful treatment to about 850 neurological patients. I hope our experience will help people in other LMICs to start similar projects to reduce neurological disability.