"Incidents bring solutions. That's innovation," says 42-year-old welding labourer S Saravana Muthu of Thalavaipuram in Nagercoil. He has won the second prize from the National Innovation Foundation-India of the Department of Science and Technology for his 'remote operated toilet bed'. On March 15, he received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind in Gujarat.
The prize included 2 lakh in cash, reimbursement of 35,000 for making the first model cot and sponsored flight tickets. He says the 'remote operated toilet bed' can be handled by bedridden individuals. Though he has studied only till Class III, Muthu's wife's illness led to this invention.
His wife Krishnammal, 40, underwent a surgery in 2014 and was bedridden for two months. "I understood the pain of bedridden patients then. They have to depend on someone and not in all cases they have someone who does the caregiver's job without showing signs of disgust. Such dependence affects the privacy of patients. So I thought of this solution to ensure their dignity and independence is protected," he told TOI.
Muthu's metal bed attached with a flush tank, closet and link to the septic tank has an opening in the middle of the bed. The patient has a remote control with three buttons. The first is to open the shutter at the base of the bed. The second is for the closet to open and the third is used to flush the toilet.
It took more than a year to come out with the prototype due to insufficient funds in 2015 as Muthu was not from a wealthy background. The third generation car mechanic ran out of business with the entry of advanced four-wheelers.
He faced criticism when he asked for help from friends to apply for an award that would be the turning point in his life. However, he managed to speak to former President APJ Abdul Kalam over phone a couple of months before the latter passed away in 2015. "He asked me to apply for the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) and told me it is for people like me to get recognition and help," he said.
Stating that he has got 385 orders from across India from 2015 for the remote-operated toilet bed, Muthu said he could deliver only one so far.