Balberan, Jan Maxin R.             ITETHIC                                 March 31, 2008

Jaipur Foot Case Study Guide Questions

1. What is the innovation of Jaipur Foot?

    

A prosthetic foot in the United Staes cost $8,000 on average. The Jaipur Foot is tailored to the active lifestyles of the poor and costs only about $30. it is provided and serviced for free to impoverished handicapped citizens in India.

2. What is the business of Jaipur Foot?

    

Developed in 1968, Jaipur foot is hand-made artificial foot and lower limb prosthesis. The foot with 10,000 of amputees around the world, was originally designed to meet the needs of a developing country lifestyle such as squatting, walking, and sitting.

3. Who are the main beneficiaries of Jaipur Foot's products?

    

“Primarily fabricated and fitted by Bhagwan Mahaveer Vikling Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), a nongovernmental, nonreligious, and nonprofit organization, the Jaipur foot is fitted on approximately 16,000 patients annually. BMVSS services approximately 60,000 patients each year by providing the Jaipur Foot, calipers, and other aids and appliances. There are seven centers throughout India and a number of mobile caps heal every year in various parts of the country.”

4. Why is Afghanistan one of the markets of Jaipur Foot?

    

In Afganistan, there are approximately 10 million landmines and at least amputee per 300 inhabitants. There are nearly as many landmines in Cambodia as people. Government hospitals are under resource that is why they are forced to charge fee leaving poor people without care.

5. How does Jaipur Foot's product pricing compare with the West?

    

With prosthetic care as expensive as it is today, it leaves many patients, in both the developing world, without the care they need. As fast, dependable solution at a cost people can afford is not only necessary but also imminent. Innovative business models, such as the Jaipur foot, already have started to accomplish this successfully plus prosthetic foot in the United Staes cost $8,000 on average while Jaipur foot is only $30.

6. What is the Gait Cycle?

    

Gait cycle is the activity that occurs between the heel strike of one limb and the subsequent heel strike of that same limb and the subsequent heel strike of the same limb. Stance begins when the heel of the forward limb makes contact with the ground and ends when the toe of the same limb leaves the ground.

7. How was the first Jaipur Foot artificial limb developed?

    

Chandra saw the local people who were amputated were fitted with artificial limbs, either local or imported, were not flexible enough to do what a normal person can do like squatting and sitting cross-legged. So Chandra same up with an idea to have a foot to be so natural that can be comparable to original foot.  Chandra experimented different materials and finally observe that rubber can be a possible material for the foot. The rubber foot has the mobility and durability that he sought, although it has to undergo numerous refinements. After refining, the foot is successful made and called Jaipur foot.

8. What are the design considerations in the Jaipur Foot Design Process?

    

The Jaipur foot was designed to simulate normal foot movements and provide a quality solution for the masses. It necessitated a prosthesis that supported India’s work and lifestyles.

9. What are the constraints in the development for Jaipur Foot?

    

Poverty – most local are poor and the prosthesis should be low cost

Closed economy – limited to imported materials

Work style – need for accessible prosthesis that could be fitted quickly

Limited trained manpower – lack of skilled worker to do the prosthesis

10. How can you compare the raw materials for Jaipur Foot vs. other products?

Each material is locally sourced and does not require special procurement agreements. Most are virtual commodities. Furthermore, most of the materials can be locally if necessary when the Jaipur foot is manufactured in other developing nations.

11. Explain a typical fitting day for a Jaipur Foot? How does it compare with the West?

     

Unless other medical conditions intervene, each patient is custom fitted with prosthesis in one day – usually within three hours. The goal is to return the patient to his or her profession and an independent life after the patient’s first visit to the clinic. Unlike the imported products, it is ready made which will most like will not completely fit the recipient.

12. What is the BMVSS? How does Jaipur Foot conduct community outreach?

     

Bhagwan Mahaveer Vikling Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) is a nongovernmental, nonreligious, and nonprofit organization. BMVSS, generally known as “the Society”, produces the prosthesis with readily available and inexpensive components to limit the cost of procurement as well as the cost of the prosthesis itself. BMVSS focuses an approach which addresses the problems of the amputees including medical, financial and social problems. Patients are given boarding and lodging facilities at the centers of BMVSS until they are provided with limbs, calipers or other aids.

13. Compare Jaipur Foot with Ossur - which one is more competitive? Why?

     

Ossur’s annual have more expenses toward administrative and operating cost while the Jaipur foot has a greater cost in creating its products. Jaipur foot can be more competitive since maintenance cost is continuous, it is better to have something greater at the beginning than having greater at the end and yet still continuing.

14. Is the Jaipur Foot model scalable? Explain.

     

Definitely yes, because of their size of their target market which is 5.5 million; they did large number of products to customers in different countries. And lastly, Jaipur foot gives option to the people versus the imported prosthetic foots coming form the west.

15. What is the significance of Jaipur Foot's cooperation with ISRO?

     

With the help of ISRO, the cost of manufacturing a Jaipur Foot is reduced. The Plyurethane which is a versatile polymer which can be produced in various forms and create lightweight materials for vibration control, shock absorption liners, and adhesives has  lessen the weight of the product which makes it durable and comfortable.