UK health experts give hope to over 700 disabled persons

Sep 11, 2014

Over 700 persons with disabilities (PWDS) are receiving free treatment and orthopedic appliances from UK health experts. The persons are being treated at Mulago hospital orthopedic workshop.

By Violet Nabatanzi

Over 700 persons with disabilities (PWDS) are receiving free treatment and orthopedic appliances from UK health experts. The persons are being treated at Mulago hospital orthopedic workshop.

The equipment includes Soft knee braces, rigid knee braces, crutches, soft spinal braces, resting splits and gaiters.

Others are hard spinal braces, fracture boots, bent knee clippers, and soft collars, prosthetic child shoes, walking frame, wheelchair and hip braces.

The eight member team led by David Gamble is composed of surgeons, physiotherapists and economists and they are to spend two weeks in the Country.  Gamble said the equipment they have so far donated to the clients is worth over $1m.

“This is our third visit in Uganda, last year we received 1000 clients. We want to help people who have very difficult problems and we feel we have some of the equipment and resources that we can put to use,” he added.   

The hospital‘s Orthopedic technician Denis Nsimenta said; clients are coming from Mityana, Arua Mbarara and other parts of the Country.

“After two weeks we plan to reach out to different hospitals in the country to give them some items to treat clients depending on their need,” Nsimenta said.

One of the beneficiaries, Bob Lubega said at two years he developed polio after a serious sickness adding that he is the only one with Polio.

Lubega 32 years old revealed that for a very longtime he could not move far, because of the heavy crutches he had locally purchased. But when the doctors came in to offer free orthopedic appliances he was able to get light crutches that have enabled him to move faster.

“At first it was not easy to move far, because the crutches were too heavy but now am able to move very far, after getting lighter crutches I can move fast,” he said.

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