ELISA ODDONE
Photojournalist
““The idea is to be able to produce 3D-printed prosthetics in the future in places difficult to access and lacking a sound healthcare system, like in conflict areas. But the way to do it is still under discussion, as it is not always easy to find technicians available in these areas, and printers are still expensive”
A hospital in Jordan is offering amputee war victims from across the region 3D-printed prostheses in an attempt to help patients regain partial functionality of their missing upper limbs.
With 3D technology, printed prosthetics are lighter, cheaper and faster to produce than conventional ones. Patients at the hospital say they stopped using their previous devices due to their weight and ineffectiveness in addressing daily-life needs.
The Amman-based Doctors Without Borders (known by their French acronym MSF) reconstructive surgery hospital has been operating for over a decade on victims of conflicts suffering from wounds inflicted by bomb blasts, bullets, shrapnel and burns.
Patients mostly hail from Gaza, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where access to proper treatment and subsequent therapy is limited or costs are too high.
