Vinnytsia and Nancy Establish Cooperation in the Field of Prosthetics and Rehabilitation of Patients

Potential vectors of cooperation were the focus of the meeting. The meeting brought together representatives of the Health Department of Vinnytsia City Council, as well as state, municipal and private medical institutions that provide prosthetics and rehabilitation services.

As a result of the war, the number of victims in need of such assistance in Ukraine has increased significantly. It is currently impossible to make any accurate estimates, as the statistics change almost daily. In Vinnytsia, modern prostheses are being fitted quickly and efficiently. However, there is a need to apply the latest international practices, said Halyna Yakubovych, Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia.

"Today it is very important to have the opportunity to see and study the latest experience. You know that a full-scale war is going on in Ukraine and, unfortunately, many of our citizens - both military and civilians - need prosthetics. Therefore, this is very important for Ukraine today," says Halyna Yakubovych.

The Jean Lamour Institute in Nancy is a powerful research laboratory that is in partnership with thirty countries and cooperates with 150 companies. As a result, it is possible to quickly implement all the latest experimental designs, said Mr. Jean Philippe Jehl, professor, head of the development of nano-biological materials.

According to him, the center's specialists use only environmentally friendly and safe materials in their practice, and electromechanical prostheses prevail among the developments, which allow to reproduce the vital biometric indicators of the lost limbs as much as possible. At the same time, the financial side of their production is also important: the costs should be economically justified according to the individual needs of each patient.

"We can provide all the necessary information on the selection of materials for the manufacture of orthoses and prostheses, their shape, and ways to rehabilitate people with both temporary and lifelong disabilities. All in order to return them to a full life as much as possible," says Dr. Jehl.

For their part, Vinnytsia colleagues emphasized the need to establish a systematic exchange of experience both by organizing training for specialists in Nancy and directly at Vinnytsia prosthetic and orthopedic enterprises and hospitals. As well as involvement in relevant international forums and conferences. In addition, great expectations are placed on the French side to receive the latest equipment and technology.

"We are very interested in cooperation on quality prosthetics and quality rehabilitation, as these areas should go hand in hand," said Oleksandr Shysh, director of the Health Department of Vinnytsia City Council. "In our work, we use the principle of multidisciplinary rehabilitation, which characterizes a comprehensive approach to patient treatment. As a result of our meeting today, we will form separate working groups of rehabilitation specialists and prosthetists, including specialists in specialized medicine, who will be able to adopt the best French practices and learn the skills of working with new developments."

At the end of the meeting, Oleksandr Shysh expressed his hope for a long and fruitful cooperation with the partners from Nancy in the healthcare sector.

"We still have a lot of work and challenges ahead of us. We hope that today's meeting will have a good continuation," said the director of the department.