Inside a Humable Foundation Rehabilitation Camp

On the second Saturday of February, our team arrived at a community hall in Airoli, Navi Mumbai, at 6:30am — two hours before the first patients were expected. By the time we opened registration at 8:30am, there were already 47 people waiting.

This is what a Humable Foundation rehabilitation camp looks like from the inside.

The Week Before

A camp doesn't start on camp day. It starts a week earlier, when our outreach coordinator and local volunteers distribute awareness leaflets at hospitals, anganwadis, and community centres within a 5km radius. WhatsApp messages go out through social worker networks. Local corporators and ASHA workers are briefed.

By Wednesday, we had 180 pre-registrations. We expected 200–250 walk-ins on the day.

Camp Day — Station by Station

Station 1: Registration

Each patient receives a numbered token and a basic intake form. Two volunteers — a college student and a retired schoolteacher — manage this station. No documents are required for attendance. Anyone who comes is seen.

Station 2: Initial Triage

A physiotherapist and our clinical coordinator conduct a brief visual assessment — identifying who needs a prosthetic consultation, who needs an orthotic assessment, and who may need a referral to a different specialist entirely. This keeps the CPO's time focused on the highest-complexity cases.

Station 3: CPO Assessment

Dr. Akshay and our clinical team see each patient referred from triage. Stump examinations, mobility tests, prescription of devices where appropriate, and clinical documentation for each case. 62 patients were seen at this station in the Airoli camp — 14 were prescribed devices for fabrication, 31 were given referral letters for further clinical follow-up, and 17 had existing devices that needed adjustment or repair.

Station 4: Device Demonstration

Patients and families who are new to prosthetic devices are taken through a demonstration — what different device types look like, how they function, and what to expect from the fitting process. Misconceptions are addressed. Fear is reduced.

Station 5: Assistance Fund Registration

Patients who need travel support, accommodation, or financial assistance to access the clinic for device fabrication are registered here. Their applications are reviewed within 5 working days.

By the Numbers — Airoli Camp, February 2024

• 289 individuals registered and assessed
• 62 seen by CPO for clinical assessment
• 14 prosthetic/orthotic devices prescribed for fabrication
• 31 referral letters issued for specialist follow-up
• 17 existing devices adjusted or repaired on the spot
• 8 patient assistance fund applications registered
• 11 volunteers participated (4 healthcare professionals, 7 general)
• Total camp cost: ₹68,000 (venue, logistics, clinical time, materials)

What Comes After

A camp without follow-up is just an event. Within 10 working days of Airoli, every patient who had been prescribed a device received a call from our coordinator to schedule their first clinical appointment. Every referral letter patient was contacted to confirm they had accessed the recommended specialist.

This follow-through is what distinguishes a Humable Foundation camp from a one-day awareness drive. The camp is the beginning of a clinical relationship — not the end of one.