Under the watchful eye of the physiotherapist, Anna Ruda-Mazur slowly walks between the two bridge sections. Carefully, she steps on tiptoe on the blue floor of the rehabilitation ward, which creaks with every step she takes. The left hand supports her at the end of the track of several meters. Turn around and start the exercise again.
At the Tellus Prosthetic and Orthopedic Care Center in Odessa, the 39-year-old Ukrainian woman with diabetes is getting used to the prosthesis she fitted to her right foot at the beginning of the month, 15 days ahead of schedule. “I already had an amputation in June, but there was a break because of the conflict. I was advised to come to Tellus. Many years ago my father was in another clinic with the same problem, but I didn’t want to go even in America I recommended this center.
Anna is the exception to the rule these days. If before the war the clinical center produced prostheses for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, most of the amputees are now soldiers and collateral victims of the explosions, bombings and mines that have ravaged Ukraine for a year now. “The number of patients we serve has, of course, increased significantly. These are military and civilians who have suffered injuries,” says Pylyp Mataovskyi.
According to the deputy director for medical work, the most sought-after prostheses are for the lower extremities, from the foot to the thigh, but many devices have also been created to replace forearms and shoulders.
Two floors below the room where Anna’s rehabilitation takes place, the noisy sound of machines announces the factory where the magic takes place. Tools, molds and half-made prostheses lie on the tables and at one of the doors a worker is rotating a plastic leg on a rotating device. The components, which come from companies all over the world, namely German Ottobock, American Freedom Innovation and Japanese Nabtesco, are assembled and adjusted in Odessa. It only takes two days to make each prosthesis. According to Pylyp Mataovskyi, the war increased production by 20% to 30%, but the clinic lost half its staff, who moved to escape the conflict. “It’s enough for the job,” he guarantees.
On the other hand, the migratory movement brings victims to the city in southern Ukraine. They come from Kherson, Mykolaiv, Lugansk and Donetsk, the most bombed regions of the country. The treatment of military amputees is the main concern of the clinic, according to the orthopedist. “We select the most appropriate type of equipment for our patients, especially with regard to the fighters. They have top-of-the-line equipment.”
During the quick visit to the workshop where all types of artificial limbs are made, Mataovskyi explains that although the clinic is private, war victims do not pay a penny for the prosthesis, which is supported by the Ukrainian state.
Upstairs, Anna goes step by step. He’s yet to lean on the railing, but he’s working on getting more and more independent. “At home I walk all the time, despite the doctors scolding me. But I feel comfortable.”
Source: DN
