{"id":82692,"date":"2016-11-23T18:34:58","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T16:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/rehabilitation-workshop-explores-advances-in-prosthetics-and-skills-development-initiative\/"},"modified":"2016-11-23T18:34:58","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T16:34:58","slug":"rehabilitation-workshop-explores-advances-in-prosthetics-and-skills-development-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/rehabilitation-workshop-explores-advances-in-prosthetics-and-skills-development-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Rehabilitation workshop explores advances in prosthetics and skills development initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rehabilitation workshop explores advances in prosthetics and skills development initiative<\/a>: <\/p>\n

\"RMA-Rehabilitation\" <\/p>\n

(Back row, left to right) Icelandic prosthetist orthotist Prof Johannesson, Paralympic medallist Ernest van Dyk, RMA beneficiary and prosthesis recipient Willem Bekker, RMA\u2019s prosthetics partner Marissa Nel, RMA\u2019s GM: Medical Dr Deodat Kritzinger, and (front row, left to right) prostheses recipients Mrs Hadzhi, Mrs Phara and Mr Liebenberg. Photo: RMA<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

A workshop bringing together experts in rehabilitative care for people with physical disabilities, hosted by Rand Mutual (RMA) in Welkom on Tuesday, culminated in Paralympic medallist Ernst van Dyk presenting four individuals with advanced prosthetics, designed to improve mobility.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are honoured to host Icelandic prosthetist orthotist, Professor Anton Johannesson, who shared some of his considerable knowledge with our delegates. We are certain that the techniques and ideas presented here will have far-reaching benefits in terms of extending improved quality of life to many individuals, for years to come,\u201d says Dr Deodat Kritzinger, General Manager: Medical at RMA.<\/p>\n

The rehabilitation workshop, held during National Disability Rights Awareness Month, was hosted at the Rand Mutual Care Facility. The state-of-the-art facility, which opened in Welkom in April, provides full-time custodial care for 16 residents at present, as well as a range of services, including pressure sore management, rehabilitation and pro-active health interventions, to other beneficiaries of RMA-administered compensation in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).<\/p>\n

\u201cProf Johannesson is clinical manager of prosthetics at \u00d6ssur Nordic, a division of leading orthopaedics equipment manufacturer \u00d6ssur. We are delighted that he is passing on some of the advanced techniques he has helped to develop to RMA\u2019S prosthetics partner Marissa Nel & Associates, as well as to our other esteemed delegates,\u201d Dr Kritzinger adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese techniques, emphasising rehabilitation immediately post-amputation, hold considerable promise in getting patients mobile more quickly post-amputation. This presents psychological benefits for the individual, as well as for their physical health as the likelihood of developing certain co-morbidities that often arise after amputation are also meaningfully diminished.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is also good news in terms of healthcare savings, as it reduces the physical burden on care givers and the need for further support services. A prosthetic limb can now be manufactured within an hour \u2013 saving time and thereby saving money \u2013 so that funding for people with disabilities can go further, benefiting more individuals,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

The workshop also provided an opportunity for Rand Mutual Care Facility\u2019s new skills development programme to be presented for discussion. \u201cThe development of this facility meant that we were better able to cater for the physical care and rehabilitation of our COIDA beneficiaries, and now we are able to offer them training towards reintegration into economic activity,\u201d Dr Kritzinger notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis speaks to RMA\u2019s commitment to holistic rehabilitation; not only physical rehabilitation as they grow stronger from the physical injuries sustained, but also in terms of the psycho-social aspects of recovery. A large part of this process is overcoming the effects that sudden disability can have on self-perception. Our residents were previously employed in jobs that were very physical in nature, and often they identify themselves in terms of those physical capabilities that have changed since their accidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis skills development programme aims to show beneficiaries new aspects of their capabilities through acquiring new skills. Not only will the residents be taught new competencies that they might never otherwise have achieved, it is hoped that they will also see themselves in a new light.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the training projects we are introducing at the Rand Mutual Care Facility for the benefit of our residents are business skills development and learning to build prosthetics. These projects hold promising potential for the upskilling of residents,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch training can set residents, particularly those who are younger, on a new career path, enabling them to fully integrate back into the working world in a new capacity. We also envisage that, in time, opportunities such as these could lay the groundwork for future entrepreneurial prospects. Proactive rehabilitation in terms of skills development will have manifold benefits for the individuals and also, potentially, the socio-economic circumstances of their families and wider communities,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough empowering Rand Mutual Care Facility residents by helping them to overcome physical limitations, it is hoped that their successes will serve as inspiration to others in similar circumstances and provide them with hope when they need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prostheses made and fitted using the techniques demonstrated by Prof Johannesson will be presented to four people at the close of the workshop. One of the four is RMA beneficiary Willem Bekker, who sustained an occupational injury to his ankle in 2010 and, in spite of a series of operations, his left leg had to be amputated below the knee in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to allow some healing time before I could have a prosthesis fitted, but I\u2019m a real \u2018busy body\u2019 so I could not wait for that. I started going around in a wheelchair and soon I was making things in my workshop. I\u2019m a boilermaker by trade, but my first love is fishing,\u201d Mr Bekker relates.<\/p>\n

Dr Deodat observes that, had the new techniques been available at the time of Mr Bekker\u2019s amputation, he could have had a prosthesis fitted within days and been mobile far sooner.<\/p>\n

Mr Bekker\u2019s rehabilitation was fuelled by his passion for fishing, and he started making fishing paraphernalia, including fishing rod stands and fishing tackle boxes for sale \u2013 opening up a whole new avenue of economic opportunity for him. \u201cI am motivated by things I love,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Dr Kritzinger adds: \u201cThe rehabilitation process is unique for each individual, and this process can be long and arduous but it is ultimately rewarding. It is our cherished hope that the insights shared here today will help to speed up this process so that individuals can recover more quickly after amputation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, we believe that the skills development programme we are implementing at the Rand Mutual Care Facility will open new doors for our beneficiaries and help them to reintegrate into the workplace, or even forge entrepreneurial opportunities that they may have never otherwise dreamt of,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

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Rehabilitation workshop explores advances in prosthetics and skills development initiative: (Back row, left to right) Icelandic prosthetist orthotist Prof Johannesson, Paralympic medallist Ernest van Dyk, RMA beneficiary and prosthesis recipient Willem Bekker, RMA\u2019s prosthetics partner Marissa Nel, RMA\u2019s GM: Medical Dr Deodat Kritzinger, and (front row, left to right) prostheses recipients Mrs Hadzhi, Mrs Phara […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3332],"tags":[8908,735,12049,5442,19442,2730,5537,4228],"class_list":{"0":"post-82692","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-johannesburg-south-africa","7":"tag-advances","8":"tag-development","9":"tag-explores","10":"tag-initiative","11":"tag-prosthetics","12":"tag-rehabilitation","13":"tag-skills","14":"tag-workshop","15":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82692\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}