The need of prosthetic service in Sri Lanka
An estimated 80% of the world’s disabled people live in the developing world. Most are poor and find difficulty in accessing health and rehabilitation services which can lead to their exclusion from society. With appropriate rehabilitation services the majority of people with disability can become important contributors to society and allocating resources to their rehabilitation is an “Investment”.
In Sri Lanka there are around 160,000 disabled people who need prostheses (artificial limbs) and orthoses (braces) including many landmine accident survivors and victims of conflict. Sri Lanka needs a minimum of 115 Prosthetist - Orthotists to meet the needs of the disabled population.
There however are only 12 Sri Lankans in the whole of the country who trained overseas (10 out of 12 were trained by CSPO). Currently over 90% of people who require artificial limbs or braces have limited access to appropriate services.
SLSPO will address these needs by training local staff.