In an attempt to leverage every opportunity to spread awareness about the need to help intellectually impaired athletes of Jharkhand on the health front, the Special Olympics Bharat (SOB), a national organization working for the promotion of the intellectually impaired, is organizing health and fitness screening camps to make a mark during the ongoing Amrit Mahotsav.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India. This celebration has provided the SOB with a golden opportunity to showcase the abilities of the athletes and the expansion of the Special Olympics program in India while reaching out to many more stakeholders.

"Under the platform of Amrit Mahotsav, the SOB is ready to launch “Return to play - Inclusion Revolution” to bring our athletes back to the sports field after health examination and fitness drive," said Satbir Singh Sahota, assistant area director of Special Olympics Jharkhand (SOJ).

According to him, SOB will conduct the health check-up camps on April 7 in 75 cities of India covering 75,000 athletes in one single day. All technical equipment will be provided by the SOB. Medical staff, ophthalmologists, audiologists and nutritionists will be made available by the national body for assistance and cooperation. Professionals will also be made available from Tata Main Hospital (Jamshedpur) and Bokaro Medical College subject to the approval from concerned authorities," Sahota added.

In Jharkhand, the health check-up camps will be held in East Singhbhum and Bokaro districts on April 7.

"Five hundred athletes from each of these two districts will be physically screened by the team of doctors and clinical directors of the SOB," added Sahota, a former international cyclist.

He said Unique ID cards will be issued to all the participating athletes which will assist them to avail free health check-ups and follow-up treatments at concerned hospitals for their dental care and eye treatment in future. All special athletes who attend the health screening camps will get free treatment throughout their life," he pointed out.

As per the layout, athletes from East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum will be screened at JRD Tata Sports Complex/Tata Main Hospital in Jamshedpur or any other suitable place subject to approval from concerned authorities. Athletes from Bokaro, Ranchi, Ramgarh and Dhanbad will be screened at Bokaro Steel Plant.

All schools and NGOs have been advised to provide the details of their athletes. Dr Avinav Kumar, state coordinator of Jharkhand Education Project has been requested to circulate the circulars through Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan operating in the earmarked districts.