Ukraine Prosthetics Industry - Protez Hub
Who are Protez Hub?
Protez Hub is a leader in ensuring sustainable P&O industry development in Ukraine.
Since 2014, thanks to the support of and cooperation with our international and local partners, we were able to achieve excellent results in ensuring improved prosthetics provision to Ukrainian amputees, especially to those, who lost their limbs as a result of the ongoing war.
Our activities include:
1. Organizing professional exchanges and providing virtual continuing education opportunities for the Ukrainian professionals involved in amputee rehabilitation and prosthetics provision;
2. Working with the Ukrainian Government on legislative changes, needed to improve the quality of prosthetics and orthotics services in Ukraine;
3. Conducting regular assessments and surveys for monitoring and strategic planning purposes.
To date, starting from 2014, over seven thousand prosthetics and orthotics professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists and doctors of rehabilitation medicine have participated in the Protez Hub online and face-to-face courses and workshops.
Protez Hub is an official continuing P&O education provider in Ukraine.
Baza Znan: Protez Hub is the first Ukrainian educational online platform on amputee rehabilitation and prosthetics, containing additional specialized courses for Prosthetists-Orthotists (anatomy, pathology, biomechanics, prosthetics, orthotics and a multi (inter) disciplinary approach to care).
Ukrainian war amputees deserve quality services
In 2023 - 2024, with the support from the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in partnership with the international experts and with the support from such partners as CO CF "Patients of Ukraine", War Trauma Rehabilitation Project, CF "Prosthetika", Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, CF "Nova Ukraine", Jonkoping University, CF "King Baudouin Foundation", American Board for Certification in Prosthetics, Orthotics and Pedorthics, ISPO, Kharkiv National Medical University, Ossur and Fillauer, we were able to accomplish the following:
1. Since there were a lot of technicians in Ukraine, but no clinicians, Protez Hub team initiated the analysis of the ISPO professional standards and the development of the National Prosthetist-Orthotist Standard. It took less than a year to develop, review and adopt the Standard. The Standard document can be found here.
2. Based on the National Professional Prosthetist-Orthotist Standard there are two pathways until 2026 for candidates to confirm or obtain their Prosthetist-Orthotist qualifications: A Fast Track pathway for experienced professionals with a specified level of prior education and for those new to the profession, wishing to become Prosthetists-Orthotists.
3. First 14 experienced professionals were accredited as Certified Prosthetists-Orthotists after passing their theoretical and clinical exams, developed and reviewed by experienced examiners.
4. Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics programs were launched at 4 National Medical Universities in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv and Ternopil.
5. A National Standardized Theoretical P&O Exam framework was developed for the future Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics program graduates.
6. Initiated by Protez Hub, a National Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics Curriculum was developed and reviewed in a historically record time without jeopardizing its quality and according to the international standards. The Curriculum document can be found here.
7. 22 more experienced professionals are preparing to complete their exams in December 2024 in order to obtain the Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist accreditation.
8. A first in the history of Ukraine specialized P&O Biomechanics course is being delivered to the Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics students thanks to the arrangement made by the Protez Hub team.
In May-June 2024, Protez Hub conducted an analysis of the prosthetics and orthotics centers across Ukraine. 73 centers were visited by a Protez Hub representative Roman, a war veteran and a triple amputee, who covered over 5000 kilometers in an attempt to get a clear picture of the state of services delivered to the amputees in every region.
Protez Hub regularly proposes changes to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on how to improve the system of prosthetics and orthotics provision, many of which were adopted or are in the process of being reviewed.
Support Protez Hub
We are very proud of what our team was able to accomplish in such a short period of time, ensuring an effective use of the available resources.
Every change that our team implements is aimed at sustainability and long-term resilience of the industry, with the ultimate goal of improving the amputee rehabilitation and P&O services in Ukraine.