LIBYA: A state-of-the-art prosthetic limb centre in a Tripoli hospital says it has treated hundreds of Libyans who were disabled during the country's eight-month conflict

Record ID: 402117

  • Title: LIBYA: A state-of-the-art prosthetic limb centre in a Tripoli hospital says it has treated hundreds of Libyans who were disabled during the country's eight-month conflict
  • Date: 16th February 2012
  • Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (RECENT, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PROSTHETIC LIMBS HOSPITAL OF ABU SALIM IN TRIPOLI PROSTHETIST TECHNICIANS WORKING TO MAKE TEMPLATES OF ARTIFICIAL LIMBS IN WORKSHOP OF HOSPITAL MORE OF PROSTHETIST TECHNICIAN WORKING GYPSUM TEMPLATES OF ARTIFICIAL LIMBS ON SHELF VARIOUS OF FEMALE TECHNICIAN WORKING VARIOUS OF PROSTHETIST FOLDING THIGHS OF MAN WITH A
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya, Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVAEEMYHOXXCDTY644GLEPWW2AW2
  • Story Text: Four months after former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed at the hands of his enemies in his hometown of Sirte, a trauma centre in Tripoli is continuing to treat the casualties of last year's eight-month conflict.
    The state-of-the-art Prosthetic Limb Centre, based at Abu Salim hospital in the south of the capital, has so far treated some 300 people who were wounded and left permanently disabled during the fighting.
    Prosthetist Noor al-Deen recently told Reuters Television that the centre, which opened in 2008, was the best in the North African country - and even beyond.
    "With regard to the prosthetic limb centre at Abu Salim hospital, I would not be exaggerating if I say it is number one in making artificial limbs in comparison with the other centres in Tunisia - or even in Europe -because we use advanced systems," he said.
    The prosthetist is critical of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC), which announced last September that it would pay for those wounded fighting Gaddafi forces to be sent abroad for medical treatment.
    "I question why the (injured) revolutionary fighters were sent abroad for treatment when they are able to get artificial limbs from their country, I wonder why did not they come to us?" said Noor al-Deen.
    Abdulsalam Ali lost both legs below the knees and some fingers when he was caught in a mortar explosion. He only heard about the clinic from a friend who was being treated here.
    The former fighter said that, while the limb centre had been very supportive, he called on the government to do more to take care of wounded veterans like himself whose injuries will never heal, long after the guns fall silent.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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