The Israel Medical Mission Charitable Foundation, together with its partner, the Ukrainian Medical Mission, and a delegation of representatives of the UK charity, held a meeting with the soldiers at a Kyiv hospital to discuss the practical aspects of helping to rehabilitate amputees.

The loss of a limb is painful, exhausting, stressful and disabling, and this is best understood by those who have experienced this trauma. Alex Lewis, who leads the team at the Alex Lewis Trust (UK), lost all four of his limbs after barely surviving strep sepsis and recovering from the initial blow, continued to research and develop better prosthetic solutions. He passionately believes that the end-user experience is crucial to innovation and finding better, more cost-effective solutions, and is now determined to help Ukrainian amputees develop the best possible solutions, built on the combined expertise of the Ukrainian and British teams.

As part of the visit, the British delegation, working with local experts, will hold a series of workshops in Ukraine on integrated support for amputees, from initial resuscitation to lifelong support. The latest achievements in early rehabilitation prosthetics of upper limbs will be demonstrated.

Training materials will be developed for Ukrainian specialists to raise awareness of protocols for better support of people with amputated limbs. Foreign partners are willing to share their experience in supporting wounded from the first minute of injury, through early rehabilitation and the provision of affordable, appropriate prosthetics for life. This distributed model of care can be incorporated into mobile clinics; using technology that is inexpensive, easy to use and can provide prosthetics for use within 48 hours of surgery for adults.

The event was also attended by: Charitable Foundation “Ukraine in the Palms”, Charitable Foundation “Golda Meir Institute for Civil Society Development”.

February 16, 2023