What are Artificial Limbs?

Introduction

Medicine today has done wonders using innovative technology; a person with limb amputation or having a dysfunctional arm or leg can have a replacement by artificial limb following a procedure called prosthetic implant or prosthesis. There are countless reasons behind amputation; tumor, diabetes, vascular disease, cancer or inevitable accidents, etc. However, the latest advances in technology have led to a variety of thicker gel materials that add cushioning and pressure dissipation. Silicone elastomers are merely used to create a barrier between the amputee’s skin and prosthetic socket, which is the portion bearing weight. Shuttle lock is a mechanical device that helps socket liners to stay bound inside of the socket. There is a concealed button to disconnect the liner from the socket, and the artificial limb can be removed easily. Ah, but these are all the nitty-gritties that we wish to talk about in detail. So let us not spill all the beans here!

What is a prosthesis?

But before jumping into all the technical details and pricing, let us recall what Prosthesis is all about. A prosthesis or a prosthetic implant refers to an artificial device that can be used as a replacement for a body part that one might have lost. Reasons for a deformity of this nature are numerous, but usually, it is either because of an accident or incident of traumatic nature. Sometimes, a congenital condition can also lead to a need for a prosthetic implant. We hope you can understand now why prosthetic limbs give hope to many! 

Artificial legs cost in Pakistan

Charity Health and Social Welfare Association (HASWA) center which charge for each limb approximately eight thousand rupees for below-knee version and eighteen thousand for above-knee version. Chinese made versions costs roughly twenty thousand to twenty-eight thousand. But if the artificial leg is imported from the USA, you will be charged as much as $5000 to $50,000.

Artificial limbs related NGO

Welfare Bioniks, an uprising in healthcare technology, supports the solutions produced, cost-effective, and highly trustworthy and logical by the designers. HOPE rehabilitation center providing upper extremity prosthetics, lower extremity prosthetics, and pediatric prosthetics. They have provided prostheses to hundreds of children in the last 27 years using innovative technology. Chal Foundation is an ecological initiative to serve the physically challenged people of Pakistan. They enable physically challenged people to;

• Walk; replacing their missing limbs with prosthetics
• Stand, providing orthotics for skeletal deformities
• Raise, providing spinal cord injured with mobility aids (wheelchairs and crutches

Artificial limbs in Islamabad

A number of NGOs and organizations fund artificial limbs in the capital of Pakistan. There is a welfare community named Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics Community. They are serving free for the last seven years, believe that if prosthetists are honest with their profession, then there will no failures with disable patients. Beyond one eighty-nine amputees have been treated with artificial limbs. Association of Physicians of Pakistan Descent of North America (APPNA) started right after the October 8th earthquake; providing artificial limbs to the amputees of the quake took place in Rawalpindi General Hospital net total charge of 350,000 dollars. One seventy physicians from North America volunteered to treat earthquake-affected people.

Artificial limbs center in Lahore

Hope rehabilitation center is social welfare founded in 1988. This center provides premium quality patient care with innovative facilities. Their location is closed to hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. Sunshine Orthopaedic Services, medical clinic residing in 27-G Chauburji Centre Lahore. They provide services such as orthotic and prosthetic appliances, waterproof fracture casting, artificial limbs, etc. There is another that you might want to check out. It is called Lahore orthotic & prosthetic medical center residing in 30 Shaheen Street Shadab Colony Muzang Lahore.

Artificial limbs price in Pakistan

Prosthetic limbs are costly; they come with a hefty price tag after adding all taxes and duties, especially in developing countries. For example, children cannot live with one artificial limb; as they grow, they require new, so it is not a one-time investment—Bioniks prosthetics made in Pakistan, which costs around three lakhs, six times less than other advanced prosthetics. A prosthetic leg price can be from 8 lakhs to 80 lakhs if imported, which will be lasted for three to five years and need to be replaced. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), thirty million people require prosthetic limbs around the world, and only twenty percent have them, which are highly costly due to import duty. The materials involved in orthotics and prosthetic limbs are aluminum alloy, fiberglass, stainless steel, thermoplastics, etc. Most organizations are only assembling parts and delivering the finished product in Pakistan, earning high profits for trade items. Dr. Khalid Niaz Niazi, who is Hope Society’s President, said that the disabled people living in poverty are paying for these imported materials: twenty percent on custom duty, seventeen percent on general sales tax, and around four percent income tax.

Free artificial limbs in Pakistan

Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics has treated 189 amputees after an earthquake disaster within 68 days in Pakistan by providing artificial limb fracture braces. The institute decided to offer free services to the earthquake victims, including children and girls; most of them were buried. Hope rehabilitation center is also a non-profit welfare comity to provide prosthetic limbs depends on funding. Apart from these, there are many other free artificial limb providers working in Pakistan as well.

Conclusion

There are many centers and committees working day and night to provide free services to disabled people. Hospitals, centers, etc. which charge for artificial limbs, are expensive because of taxes and duty. Even if the government somehow manages to relive custom duty and tax. It is not affordable for some people. A high tech electronic leg costs Rs 10 million, and a Chinese electronic wheelchair is worth rupees 250,000. The artificial limbs industry requires converting ordinary industrial materials, particularly limb grade materials, to materials that can be used in prosthetics. Therefore, the government should focus on establishing companies that are more focused on this side of affairs, if Pakistan is to become an exporter of artificial limbs in the world!