Posts Tagged ‘artificial limb’

20090210: Agreement signed to help those injured in the earthquake

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

港四川签合作协议 助万名地震伤员重新站起来

2009年02月10日  来源:中国新闻网

http://www.chinanews.com.cn/ga/gaynd/news/2009/02-10/1555952.shtml

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) signed a cooperation and exchange agreement with Sichuan Provincial Academy of Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People Hospital, in order to enlarge the medical expertise group and help 10 thousand people injured in the quake to recover.

This agreement is expected to promote the Stand-up Project that was set early in Jan by the International Ethnic-Chinese Orthopedics Association. Meanwhile, science research and academic cooperation/ exchange project was also established, including a training program that will provide 1000 certificated medical personnel after 3 years of training.

Cheng Qiming, a lecturer at the Medical College in Chinese University of Hong Kong, stated that there were more than 7000 people injured in the quake that need artificial limbs, and that the Stand-up Project had already provided artificial limbs and physiotherapy to more than 300 of them. He also asserted that fitting artificial limbs is relatively expensive, averaging around 150 thousand RMB per limb. An electric hand costs about 200 thousand RMB. Furthermore, limbs and the required accessories will need constant adjustment and updating. “This is a long-term process; considerable amount of capital is needed.” said Cheng.
Now three rehabilitation doctors from Sichuan are taking training in Hong Kong.

香港中文大学医学院与四川省医学科学院、四川省人民医院今日签署合作交流协议,以扩大专业医疗人员队伍,帮助一万名地震伤员重新站起来。

今日签署的协议将促进川港方面共同为地震伤员展开周详康复治疗,并建立科研、教学的相关交流合作,包括三年内在四川培训一千名医护人员并颁发相应的认证文凭等。

陈启明说,目前需要装义肢的地震伤员超过七千名,自成立至今,“站起来”计划已为近百名病人配上义肢和物理治疗,为超过三百名伤员提供治疗。

陈启明亦指出,安装义肢费用十分昂贵,下肢平均要人民币十五万左右,电子手则需要人民币二十多万。且随着少年儿童不断成长,义肢和配件也需不断调整和更新,“最大的难度在于持续地跟进和调整,这是一个漫长的过程,需要大量资金。”

陈启明认为,目前最重要的是积极落实这三年的培训及发展计划。他透露,目前有三位四川的康复治疗主任正在香港接受培训。

Major need for rehab clinics

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

Translated from Xinhua:

In Sichuan about 7,400 people injured in the quake still need physical therapy, officials said.

So far, 158 amputees received artificial limbs. 341 people are now equipped with assistive devices, officials said. The health department said they plan to set up rehabilitation centers for the injured, but full details have not been unveiled.

Three provincial centers with a total of 300 beds were founded in Chengdu to treat the most seriously injured. Six quake-hit cities have sub-centres and 44 counties have therapy branches for patients. In addition, about 100 rehabilitation experts from all over China are now working in Sichuan. Money has also been spent to help quake victims restart their lives in other ways. For example, in June, The Sichuan Disabled Persons’ Foundation pledged 2 million yuan (293,000 U.S. dollars) annually for three years to help the disabled start their own businesses. The government also announced, in May, that employers would get tax cuts or subsidies if they hired disabled quake victims.

Only 12 of Sichuan’s 623 quake orphans have so far been been legally adopted, state media reported.

According to the Sichuan Department of Civil Affairs, 90 percent of the 600 plus orphans were taken into care by their relatives while the other 60 remain in welfare homes, Xinhua said.

Officials said 623 children became orphans in the quake, but only 12 of them have since been adopted. Other orphans are being fostered by relatives or welfare houses. About 98% of them have been fostered by relatives and 2% of them are living in welfare house.

Relatives have priority in adopting quake orphans according to government regulations, said Zhang Li, deputy director of the department. The adoption process began in late August. In May, it was reported there were about 4,000 orphans, but most were identified by their parents or relatives and taken home, officials said.
“The number is changing all the time as some are taken away and some return from other provinces after free medical care,” Zhang said. “Very few are adopted by strangers.”