Pakistan Society for Rehabilitation of Differently Abled
It is a charitable organization primarily funded through donations, zakat, and sadaqah. Its mission is to provide preventive, remedial, and rehabilitative care to differently abled and handicapped individuals, enabling their productive and meaningful integration into society.
PSRD was set up as a physiotherapy centre by a small group of orthopaedic doctors in 1957 in one room within the Mayo Hospital in Lahore, as they felt that physiotherapy was essential for the rehabilitation of patients after surgery.
In 1964, the society established a physiotherapy department at its current premises on Ferozepur Road, Lahore. By 1969, a new building block was completed for the Prosthetics and Orthotics workshop. The block, now housing both the physiotherapy department and the surgical unit, was fully completed in 1972.
Many patients visiting PSRD were children whose education had been neglected due to the nature of their treatment. To address this, an education program was initiated in 1965, with the school’s development largely supported by financial assistance from foundations in Holland and England. The program proved highly successful, and in 1980, a new school block was constructed with the support of a government grant and public donations.
As the number of patients continued to grow, a new building was required for the Out-Patient Department. Built in 2003 with assistance from the American Friends of PSRD and PSRD’s own resources, the facility includes seating for over a hundred patients, an X-ray unit, a clinical laboratory, examination rooms for doctors, and offices for social welfare officers.