Faster access to innovative prostheses for state defenders: the Ministry of Social Policy is changing its approach

From now on, starting from May 10, Ukrainian servicemen will have the opportunity to receive highly functional prostheses and orthoses, paid for by the state, faster and more efficiently. This important change has already been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy reported.

The new rules provide that the Fund for Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities (FSZI) will be able to finance more technological, more complex and more expensive prostheses already one year after the first prosthesis, if such a prosthesis differs in other functional characteristics. In particular, we are talking about prostheses of the upper limb with an external energy source and prostheses of the lower limb with increased functionality.

"At the first stage, it is important for a person to adapt to the prosthesis and master its use. This task is solved by primary prosthetics. Only when the user has already gotten used to the prosthesis, adapted to it, it becomes appropriate to install a more functional prosthesis. Now our defenders will have the opportunity to receive prostheses with additional possibilities much faster, without waiting for the end of the period of operation of the first prosthesis," explained Olena Kulchytska, advisor to the Minister of Social Policy.

Previously, combatants could receive such prostheses only after the first prosthesis had expired, which usually lasts three years.

The Ministry of Social Policy gives an example of how the new order will work:

"For example, during the initial prosthesis, a defender with an amputated leg at the level of the thigh received a high-quality prosthesis with a hydraulic knee assembly. The doctor may recommend him a more innovative prosthesis with a microprocessor (electrical) knee assembly, which works on a different principle and can promote a more natural gait and easy overcoming the stairs".

It should be noted that the government has made changes to the prosthetics and orthotics procedure so that people who have lost limbs due to injuries can return to active life as soon as possible.

"As a result of our communication with combatants, with veteran organizations and manufacturers of prostheses, we saw the need to review the procedure for providing such prostheses to those who have already used the primary prosthesis for 12 months. We proposed to the Ministry of Social Policy to remove this obstacle, and today the Cabinet of Ministers allowed us quickly provide more functional prostheses for our defenders," said General Director of FSZI Vitaly Muzychenko.