Today, Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany Svenja Schulze together with Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi officially opened the UNBROKEN Prosthetics and Orthotics Center.
This project is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) within the framework of the Special Support Program for Ukraine / EU4ResilientRegions and is funded by the Federal Government of Germany.
“I was very impressed by how many people in Ukraine have been seriously injured by Russian strikes – and every day of this brutal war the number is growing. The new UNBROKEN Prosthetics and Orthotics Center in Lviv is helping to make everyday life easier for the injured: in the future, more than 1,200 patients will receive state-of-the-art prosthetics here annually. We also continue to train specialists who are in short supply – those who can make prostheses. On behalf of the German government, we will continue to work to provide much-needed health care in Ukraine,” explains Ingrid-Gabriela Hofen, Member of the Board of Management of GIZ.
The largest prosthetics center in the country opened in Lviv
The one-story building with a total area of 1,000 square meters houses a prosthesis manufacturing center, classrooms for training and research, rooms for fitting and testing prostheses by patients, and a patio for recreation. The center is equipped with the latest equipment (AFT, Romedis) for the manufacture of upper and lower limb prostheses.
“This is a unique center for Ukraine in terms of the speed of construction and the function it will perform. Our Heroes – men, women and children – will receive a thousand prostheses a year here. This is a great chance because many Ukrainians are fighting today and need this help. It will also be a major training center for Ukrainian cities. The experience we will have here will be shared with Ukrainian cities and cities around the world. Many thanks to the German government, German citizens, and Minister Svenja Schulze for this real support and assistance. We have one of the most modern rehabilitation centers, we have a prosthesis production facility, and we are building housing for the wounded nearby, so that everything is integrated and at the highest level,” said Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
An important part of the project is the training of prosthetists and orthopedists according to ISPO (International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics) standards. About 60 people participate in training programs at various levels with the support of the German government and GIZ Ukraine. Successful graduates receive international certificates.
The country’s largest prosthetics center was opened in Lviv
According to Oleh Samchuk, CEO of the First Medical Association of Lviv, the newly created UNBROKEN Prosthetics and Orthotics Center will increase the production capacity of prostheses in Ukraine. This means that it will help Ukrainians in need of artificial limbs to get them faster.
“We have to help as many people as possible. That is why we have to expand our production capabilities. Another challenge of the time is specialists, and there is a catastrophic shortage of them. Ukraine needs to train specialists in prosthetics and orthotics. And we plan for this Center to become a powerful training hub in Ukraine. Over the past year, we have already held a series of trainings for 51 employees of prosthetic companies from different parts of Ukraine. And on May 21, the next module of the world’s most reputable Human Study training will begin at the Center. It will also be a place for research in prosthetics and development of Ukrainian startups. We sincerely thank our partners for their support of Ukrainians fighting for their freedom,” said Oleh Samchuk, CEO of the First Lviv Medical Association.
Among other things, the center will develop materials for a national training program for Ukrainian prosthetics trainers who will be able to pass on their experience to future professionals and increase the number of specialists in this field.
The building is designed for 40 workplaces. The center will produce about 1,200 prostheses a year.