LIVES of 30 amputees have changed for the better, thanks to a government rollout of direct socket prosthetics that took place at East London’s Frere Hospital Orthotics and Prosthetics Centre from the 25th to 27th of September.
With the new technology, patients are fitted with their new limbs within 30 minutes as opposed to the 30 days that it used to take to complete a single prosthetic.
Departmental spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase said that the department will soon roll out the new direct socket campaign to the rest of the province after it was a resounding success at Frere Hospital.
“This new system enables us to manufacture prostheses directly onto the patient, and the patient gets to be fitted with prostheses within 30 minutes.”
Ndamase said through this innovative new technology, the department will be able to alleviate the pressure in hospitals and address the backlog.
“The Department will take the service to rural areas across the province to ensure that those in need of prosthetics will be able to get them closer to where they live.
“We will embark on outreach programmes soon. We are committed to improving the quality of health and care that we offer to the more than 90% of uninsured people in the Eastern Cape. This is just one of the ways we are doing that,” he said.
Eighteen-year-old Nomzolisi Nqadini from Qoqodala in Komani said she wishes her mother was still alive to witness her baby girl happily walking about with two legs again.
The Grade 10 learner who dreams of becoming a nurse says she was born with a right leg shorter than the left. She says a problem with her joints resulted in her amputation in May 2019.
“This is a miracle. I had lost all hope of ever having two legs,” she said.
Happy recipient, Andile Matini, a 47-year-old who lost his leg to diabetic complications, says his new leg is comfortable, convenient, and lighter. He said he looks forward to being able to dance again.
