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The 1st Arab Regional Congress for Prosthetics and Orthotics of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) kicked off in Amman Saturday.
In opening remarks at the conference, organized by United Arab Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (UASPO) in cooperation with the Jordanian NMS for P&O, former Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the gathering underlined a commitment to a better life for those with physical challenges, not just a technical matter, but a purely humanitarian and ethical issue as well.
“We are witnessing a significant rise in amputations that leave deep scars on the lives of individuals and their families, whether from traffic accidents, machinery and equipment, or due to wars taking place in several parts of this world,” he said.
He stressed the need to raise awareness of the dangers of such accidents and means of prevention in order to reduce the high number of injuries, and the need to introduce advanced health services and specialized training to care for amputees.
He noted His Majesty King Abdullah’s initiative to host injured Palestinians in Jordan or provide care to them in their locations, as well as the King’s call for coordination with design companies to install rapid and modern limbs.
For his part, UASPO Secretary-General Raed Al Khattab said the science of prosthetics has been “revolutionized”, allowing thousands across the globe to regain mobility and better manage their lives.
He said that upon a directive by His Majesty King Abdullah II, the Royal Medical Services supported amputees in the Gaza Strip through the “restore hope” initiative, in light of an unprecedented rise in the number of war injuries, where prosthetic limbs were installed for a large number of children due to their inability to leave Gaza, and the number of amputees in Gaza is expected to exceed 15,000.
ISPO President David Constantine expressed his gratitude for organizers of “this important conference”, praising efforts made to raise awareness and discuss the issues of prosthetics and mobility means.
Jordanian NMS for P&O President, Hatem Masaadeh, said the Kingdom takes pride as one of the first countries in the region to give the profession of prosthetics due attention and care, as the National College for Training Prosthetics was established in 1984 as a cooperative project between the Royal Medical Services and the Ministry of Health with financial and technical support from the German government.
The three-day conference features working papers, lectures and workshops that will tackle various topics related to the profession and scientific achievements in the field of prosthetics and orthotics.
