Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has directed the government to start establishing an integrated industrial complex to localize the production of prosthetic devices and artificial limbs for people with special abilities, in cooperation with reputable foreign companies in this field.
Sisi said that the move aims to support citizens with special needs and help them lead a normal daily life. The President also directed to expand the preparation of state facilities to deal with easy access of people with special needs in accordance with international codes in this field.
This came during Sisi’s meeting on Tuesday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Kabbaj, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Mohamed Ashour, Major General Doctor Eid Mahmoud, Adviser to Defense Minister for Medical Education and Prosthetic Devices, and Major General Mohamed Ali, Deputy Director of the Department of Technical Research and Development for the Armed Forces.
Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said that the meeting dealt with following-up efforts to localize the manufacture of artificial limbs and prosthetic devices for people with special abilities.
Rady added that the meeting witnessed a review of the state’s efforts through all the various concerned agencies to develop a comprehensive vision for the establishment of a comprehensive industrial complex for prosthetic limbs and prosthetic devices in Egypt, in accordance with the latest international technological and medical standards.
The meeting witnessed the presentation of the results of contacts made with various international companies, as well as external field visits to see the latest capabilities in this field in an effort to establish the complex.
The meeting reviewed several main axes, the most important of which are the production of high-quality components, technology transfer, localization of industry, and the promotion of scientific research and development.
The complex is provisioned to include a group of factories specializing in the production of components for prosthetics, immobilizers and orthoses, pre-fabricated materials, wheelchairs and movement aids, medical shoes, and silicone products.
President Sisi directed attention to the rehabilitation of human resources, auditing databases on the number of beneficiaries and the volume of local demand, as well as discussing opportunities to involve the Egyptian private sector with expertise in this field.
