| Overview: The Artificial Limbs & Polio Center
is a non governmental organization that specializes in manufacturing and fitting
prosthesis and various apparatus to assist persons with paralysis and amputated limbs.
The Artificial
Limbs & Polio Center manufactures prosthesis and other appliances for disabled
person’s vitrans, Intifada victims and others who are in need.
The Center is
the only one of its type in the Gaza Strip and it is one of Gaza Municipality Centers.
The idea of
establishing the center emerged in 1974, when Gazans, who needed such services, had to
travel to Israel for treatement.
The late
President of Benevolent Society for the Gaza Strip. Mr. Rashad Shawwa , in co-ordination
with representatives of other local charitable organizations established the first
prosthetic workshop. Two employees were sent to Amman, Jordan, for a Two-years training
program in prosthesis manufacture. Work started in 1978 in a room at the Ahli Arab
Hospital. When demand increased, services expanded and the Artificial Limbs & Polio
Center was built in its present place in 1985 in Gaza City. Victimes of the Intifada,
children and others are treated upon medical recommendations. Every Thursday an orthopedic
surgeon and a consultant physiotherapist attend at the ctinic of the center to examine new
cases and decide what services are needed.
Beneficiaries:
All patients
from Gaza Strip and the West Bank who suffer from amputated limbs, paralytic problems and
other handicap and need an appliance to help them regain the function of the affected limb
can get the appliance manufactured at the center. The center so far served 3750 persons
with the needed appliances.
Actual lack of resources :
The center's needs:
- Many of the physically handicapped
people in the center were not fortunate enough to be rehabilitated because of lack of
financial support. Our aim is to find financial support to adopt a number of these cases,
especially those who are in a desperate need of rehabilitation. On the other hand the
center will furnish any concerned party with names, numbers and costs.
- The center is in a great need of a
training program for the six employees, to be able to improve their technical methods in
dealing with different cases. This program is preferred to be in Germany or in Qatar. It
is important to mention that the center uses materials imported from Germany. The cost of
this program is $4000 /person. Another suggested idea is to bring in an expert to the
center in Gaza to train the staff.
- The center needs to replace some of
the old equipment in the center.
- There is a great need for an
advanced computer system that will accommodate the increasing number of disability cases,
that will enable the center to identify the cause of the case, the age, the possibility of
rehabilitation, the Geographic distribution, sex differentiation, in addition to many
other things which will assist in assessing each individual case.
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