With the soon to be finished Rehabilitation Workshop at the NRH help with the manufacture of artificial limbs will be needed urgently
In recent months staff at the Australian High Commission in Honiara held one or more meetings with a group of disabled persons in the city and gave advice of the rights of disabled persons as are provided for in terms of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
I saw this move in keeping with a pledge by the Australian High Commission and, presumably with DFAT support, to render aid to the citizens in the Solomon Islands handicapped with a disability.
I wrote in the last few days of the work in progress at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara in finishing off a 40 ft Rehabilitation Workshop in replacement for the old structure that was demolished after it fell victim to infestation and decay caused over the years by termites and white ants.
The new facility was gifted to the NRH following an appeal.
In the past years the old facility served to manufacture and custom fit artificial limbs (mainly legs) to those patients who had undergone a leg amputation after surgery following contracting diabetes.
In those days, I believe two Solomon Islanders who had both undergone training in the making and fitting of artificial limbs in India worked in the Rehabilitation workshop full time.
When the old premises were demolished the skilled technicians were laid off or assigned other work.
Also since the demolished of the old workshop there has been a huge back log of patients waiting for a replacement limb and the numbers grow each week as surgery sees six or more have a limb amputated. It is claimed there are now as many as 400 to be fitted with an artificial limb.
Having had a hand in the obtaining of the new workshop but actually funded by a generous donor partner, my pre-occupation now turns to seeing the awaiting handicapped given a prosthetic (or artificial limb) as soon as possible.
I would hope the two specialist technicians are still available and can be re-employed and set about making artificial limbs and custom fitting them to the long list of waiting amputees.
If help is needed initially by the NRH my partner charity in New Zealand, ‘Take My Hands’ is able to help with a supply of pre-made artificial limbs, or advice on manufacture, or with tools and training.
Alternatively, perhaps the Australian High Commission could seek help from the centre in Victoria that offers free services and prosthetics to the disabled through the Victoria Artificial Limb Programme.
Perhaps there might me other diplomatic partners willing to help out too through existing Limbless Associations in their own countries.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
