Thai Foundation Provides Chinese Amputees With Limbs And Govt With Know-How

[Lite Beer]

Thai foundation provides Chinese amputees with limbs and govt with know-how

By Premyuda Boonroj

The Nation on Sunday

For Liang Jin Chang, a 63-year-old farmer in China's Guangdong province, a bamboo-woven stump was all he had for a leg for almost three years.

Liang could not afford a prosthetic one because it was too expensive for him. Help came from an unexpected quarter: Liang was given a free prosthetic leg following a recent collaboration between Thailand's Prostheses Foundation of HRH the Princess Mother and China's Guangdong Prosthetics and Orthotics Rehabilitation Centre. "Henceforth, I don't have to make a leg from bamboo every month and a half, which is the maximum time the bamboo stump could last before it breaks from the constant pressure of walking," Liang said, showing a thumbs up.

Liang's leg had to be amputated below the knee three years ago after it became severely abscessed. Despite the tragedy, he remained positive and made the most of what was available - bamboo and cloth - to help himself walk. Smiling widely as he received the new comfortably-fitting prosthetic leg in his arm, Liang also gave away his old bamboo leg to one of the Thai staff as a souvenir.

For Ju Siew Yong, 44, a former factory worker who lost his right leg 23 years ago, this was a second chance to walk on his own without having to depend on crutches, especially as the whole prosthetic leg cost 20,000 yuan (about Bt100,000), which is beyond his family's financial capacity.

With tens of thousands of amputees in need of prosthetic legs, and the price in China ranging from 4,000 to more than 30,000 yuan, not many people can afford it.

Liang and Ju were among 56 poor Chinese who received prosthetic legs on Friday at a ceremony presided over by the foundation's adviser, Privy Councillor Air Commander Marshall Kamthon Sindhvanada. Among the guests were Thai Ambassador to Beijing Piamsak Milintachinda, Thai consul-general in Guangzhou Pisanu Suvanajata and Guangzhou vice governor Chen Mingde.

Under the project to mark HM the King's 7th cycle birthday on December 5 and the 36th anniversary of Thai-Chinese relations on July 1, the foundation's 23-strong team of doctors and technicians made artificial limbs for the 56 amputees within three days. The team was led by 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award winner for public service Dr Therdchai Jivacate.

They also shared with the Chinese centre knowledge about the CIR sand-casting system used by the foundation, which facilitates low-cost, high-quality and better-fitting prostheses to be made from easy-to-find materials within a short time. With this material-recyclable method, the foundation is able to produce below-knee artificial limbs within four hours to one day at a cost of Bt2,500 and above-knee prostheses within two days for Bt10,000.

The foundation also gave the Chinese centre four sets of equipment worth Bt2.55 million and will train Chinese personnel, according to a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during this trip.

Guangdong Prosthetics and Orthotics Rehabilitation Centre director Cai Qun said the centre currently used the standard method of plaster casting and imported parts to make artificial limbs. As a result the prices varied according to material and design.

Cai said it took 20 days to make a below-knee limb (including walking training) and one month for an above-knee one.

Cai said the Thai method was different and renewable hence the centre would get its personnel trained to use and develop it further for better efficiency in making prostheses for poor people in China.

As amputees previously paid for limbs and expenses, he said the Chinese authority allocated funds to give artificial limbs to 4,000 eligible amputees free-of-cost and covered their travelling expenses. In the past three years, 3,130 amputees had got the limbs, he said.

Cai added that 56 people, chosen from over 20,000 poor amputees in Guangdong, were sponsored with their travelling and accommodation expenses.

Besides the agreement to collaborate in setting up a prostheses-making mobile unit in China and getting Chinese personnel trained in Thailand as per the MoU, Prasom Fangthong, deputy consul-general in Guangzhou, said this project would also be extended to assist the poor and needy in the city of Shantou next year.

-- The Nation 2011-06-19