Ukraine visit Development Minister Schulze officially opens biggest artificial limb centre in Ukraine

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Minister Svenja Schulze at the Unbroken Orthopaedics Centre in Lviv, Ukraine

Minister Schulze said, “With its attack on Ukraine, Russia has brought immense suffering on the country. Far too many people have lost legs, arms and even their lives because of mines, grenades and collapsed buildings. But Ukrainians are not going to let themselves be discouraged. In just 18 months, the city of Lviv has set up the biggest prosthetics centre in Ukraine. Germany has provided support for this undertaking. What makes this centre different is that psychologists, doctors, orthopaedic specialists and physiotherapists are working here hand in hand to help people recover. The work that they are doing is also helping Ukraine to recover and is a beacon of hope in the most difficult of times.”

Around 1,200 prosthetics and orthotic supports can be constructed each year in the new workshop. This means that current production capacities in Ukraine will be tripled. At the same time, 60 trainees are completing various training modules on prosthetic and orthotic technologies. The centre is the first one of this size in Ukraine – and the first to combine prosthetics production and training skilled workers.

Besides supporting the establishment of the prosthetics workshop, the Development Ministry also supported the associated Unbroken Rehab Centre. Once patients have received their prosthetics, a team of psychologists, physiotherapists and doctors looks after them in the Rehab Centre. The new centre is part of the Lviv First Medical Union – comprising the Unbroken Rehab Centre, hospitals and a centre for mothers.

The Minister also visited a vocational school and talked to vocational school students who are doing their training in electronics, vehicle mechanics, welding and IT. These branches of vocational training are important for Ukraine’s recovery, because the country lacks trained skilled workers. Around 11 million Ukrainians are either at the front, or they have been internally displaced or they have fled the country; this means that they are not there to rebuild. That is why, together with international organisations and other countries, Development Minister Svenja Schulze is preparing an international Skills Alliance for Ukraine. The Alliance is to be launched at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on 11 and 12 June.