Foreign experts train Ukrainian prosthetic specialists in UNBROKEN rehabilitation center

International experts are conducting a four-day workshop to train Ukrainian colleagues in prosthetics for upper and lower limbs at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center in the western city of Lviv, Rubryka reports, referring to Ukrinform.

What's the problem?

The Unbroken Center reports that Ukraine has a critical shortage of specialists who can produce prosthetics, while tens of thousands of Ukrainians currently need artificial limbs after amputations. Only this year has the government allocated funding for 15,000 prosthetics. Experts of the center suggest a substantial number of prosthetic limbs were provided through charity efforts.

Thousands of lower limb prosthetics are installed compared to only hundreds for upper limbs. Despite a significant increase in amputations, especially due to the war, there's a shortage of specialists capable of fitting prosthetic arms. As a result, patients often face waiting periods of six months or more.

What's the solution?

To tackle this issue, the four-day workshop at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center focuses on training Ukrainian professionals in upper and lower limb prosthetics, particularly producing upper limb prosthetics. Prosthetic specialists work collaboratively with doctors to determine the best functional purpose for the prosthetic arm.

"To address the increasing number of patients with severe injuries and amputations due to the war, we need to produce artificial limbs more quickly and with higher quality. Currently, there's a shortage of specialists, so we are adopting the best practices to enhance our skills and train others," said Nazar Bahniuk, a prosthetist at the Prosthetics Center of the First Medical Association in Lviv.

How does it work? 

The training, held from December 4 to December 7, is conducted by experts from Fillauer LLC, a global leader in orthopedics and prosthetics. Participants from Kyiv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa, Poltava, Zhytomyr, and Zaporizhzhia attended the workshop, bringing experience ranging from three months to 23 years.

The intensive training program includes studying the technical characteristics of prosthetics, mastering specialized software to configure high-tech artificial limbs, and applying acquired knowledge in practical settings.

In the course of the training, measurements have already been taken for three patients at the center, and artificial limbs are now being crafted for them. At the end of the workshop, these patients will be fitted with prosthetics.

The workshop is part of the "Rehabilitation and Prosthetics for Ukrainians in Ukraine" project, implemented through the Ukrainian Rapid Response Fund program by IREX in Ukraine, with support from the US Department of State.

Background

The UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center inaugurated its first mobile prosthetic workshop in September 2022. Equipped by the German company Ottobock, this initiative was supported by the Maltese Relief Service, the German government, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. Within the first year of operation, the center produced 215 prosthetics, including six bionic hand prosthetics.

Oleh Samchuk, the CEO of the First Medical Association in Lviv, highlighted the success of providing quality treatment within Ukraine and the importance of Ukrainians receiving care without seeking help abroad.

Further plans include establishing another prosthetic workshop at St. Luke's Hospital and a prosthetic mini-factory at St. Pantaleon's Hospital. The goal is to increase the number of skilled prosthetists due to the growing demand.

Rubryka reported that Lviv doctors successfully installed a bionic hand prosthesis for 33-year-old military paratrooper Mykhailo Yurchuk. Moreover, the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center will receive a grant from the Canadian charitable initiative "Humanitarian Call of Ukraine" for equipment procurement and staff training.

ALLO, a Ukrainian telecom company, also contributed ₴15 million to produce high-tech prosthetics for Ukrainian heroes.