Saket Ortho has a legacy of 40 years in Physiotherapy and is recognized as the leading manufacturer of orthopedic and rehabilitation products in central India. Seeing their initiative in a field that has remained untouched for years, Dr Sadanand Thote was asked about why they entered the field of the foot care industry. He spoke about the times they had started their physiotherapy center; people visited them with various muscular skeletal issues like neck pain, back pain, knee pain, etc. After treatment, they used to recover, but after 5-6 months, 80% of the patients returned to us with the same problem. Hence Dr Sanand had continuous discussions with several specialists to figure out a solution, but he was unable to do so. Not finding a proper solution became his inspiration to enter this field.
We asked him when he started his manufacturing line. He told us that the manufacturing line was started alongside the physiotherapy session, but its actual starting point was much later. It was during the time that he had gone for his postgraduate studies in the USA that he realized the importance of feet when it comes to healthcare. This inspired him to start manufacturing customized foot care products for orthopedic and diabetic patients to relieve their problems.
Taking this step is seen to have greatly benefited the diabetic patients, as they should wear specialized footwear, which must be soft, comfortable and proper fitting. If they use ordinary footwear and unfortunately get hurt, it may result in gangrene and amputation. At Saket they use Microcellular polymer (MCP) to manufacture the products for them and use silicon material for cosmetic products.
The journey of setting up such an impactful organization wasn't easy. Hence we asked him about his struggle. He said, “40 years ago, when we started our Physiotherapy center, it was the 1st independent physiotherapy center in central India. We faced many issues as the concepts weren't famous during those days. So we had to start with educating the doctors about the importance of physiotherapy in various medical conditions. It took 5 years to create awareness. Finally, in 1990 we started getting a positive response and saw mouth-to-mouth publicity due to which we have the recognition today.” It has been a smooth sail since then, he concluded.
Saket has achieved a great amount of trust and success regarding foot care products, prosthetics for both people and animal and cosmetic restoration. They have over 250+ products that are being used by sportsmen, and the general public, especially diabetic and orthopedic patients.
After all this, we wished to know their future plans. Even after achieving huge success in their startup, Saket prioritizes the general public. While answering our curiosity, Dr Sanand Thote says, “Children are the foundation of the nation, and so I wish to serve them.” He spoke about his concerns when it comes to healthcare camps at schools. Not a single school to date has organized a footcare camp. Due to this, major problems like knocked knees and flat feet go unnoticed. Children with such conditions can not pass a physical test, and these defects are curable only between 2-9 years old. Proper guidance is required for the exercise they have to perform and the aids they must use. They also plan to conduct seminars for the doctors to create awareness and camps for the general public to help them cure the issues they are facing due to improper weight distribution on foot. The aim of eradicating all musculoskeletal problems in India in the next 10 years.
For all those who wish to connect with them, you can do so by physically visiting them in their setup at Nagpur. If that is not possible, you can always connect with them via video call. They will send you a foot impression kit at your delivery address and then guide you through a video call on how to use it. Later you have to send the used kit back to them. After analyzing the kit, they will approach you with the results and proper cure. So don’t ignore your foot. It requires care to avoid severe problems in the future.
