How Protez Hub Helps Ukraine Achieve Sustainability in Amputee Care and Prosthetics
Since the start of the full scale invasion, Ukraine has seen approximately 15,000 individuals who lost their limbs as a result of war related trauma. Most of them were young men, who wished to continue living an active life and who would now require lifelong amputee care.
The Protez Hub team saw the need for sustainable prosthetics industry development in Ukraine back in 2014, when Russia first occupied parts of Ukraine and many Ukrainian defenders suffered severe trauma. At the time, the team of Ukrainian and international volunteers and experts operated under the name of Ukraine Prosthetic Assistance Project. The goal was to bring groups of international experts, specializing in prosthetics and orthotics, to not only fit Ukrainian amputees with prosthetics, but to, first of all, transfer knowledge and expertise to Ukrainian counterparts, so that they could do it all in Ukraine without having to rely on the international assistance.
At the same time, the team was also working with the Ukrainian government to introduce necessary legislation so that quality assistive technology became available to every Ukrainian, and especially to the veterans.
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“We always knew that relying on foreign aid and humanitarian assistance was not a long term solution. One prosthetic limb could cost up to $140,000 if a patient is taken out of the country for rehabilitation and fitting. Moreover, every amputee requires life long care that should be available to them right where they reside” - explained Antonina Kumka, Protez Hub Chief Director.
In 2022 the initiative registered the name Protez Hub and has been operating in Ukraine under that name ever since.
“Sustainability is our way” is one of Protez Hub slogans. And they really mean it.
A very modest core team with a very wide international network of field experts is making progress in achieving their goal every single day.
“We are not here to build another prosthetic center or raise incredible amounts of money to fit a fixed number of amputees” - says Olena Tsymbaliuk, Protez Hub Operations Director based in Kyiv. “Our goal is to change the whole system in such a way that those who lost their limbs in Ukraine are able to receive quality amputee rehabilitation and prosthetics services from well-trained specialists at the already established facilities”.
Protez Hub, an impartial player in Ukraine’s prosthetics and orthotics sector, provides continuing education and practical training opportunities for existing professionals from across the country.
In 2023 the team assembled a working group of international and domestic experts who developed the first ever Prosthetist-Orthotist Professional Standard in accordance with the ISPO international standards. This was followed by the development of the Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics National Curriculum in collaboration with the Swedish and American experts.
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“It was a great experience working on the development of the O&P National Educational Curriculum for Ukraine. Jonkoping University has a lot of experience delivering O&P educational programs and I was happy to help Ukraine build its own prosthetics and orthotics master’s curriculum” - shared Nerrolyn Ramstrand, PhD, Jonkoping University.
Prosthetists-orthotists are clinicians who work directly with patients and who supervise the work of technicians. Now in Ukraine, those who have experience in prosthetics-orthotics and relevant graduate education, are given an opportunity to go through a faster accreditation process and confirm their credentials.
“A Fast Track program is a grandfathering program for existing practitioners. There is a significant number of excellent professionals in Ukraine, who should not be required to go through another lengthy education process. These professionals could themselves easily train others. Thus, together with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Policy, we worked out an official way for such experienced professionals to get the Prosthetist-Orthotist accreditation through taking theoretical and practical exams, conducted by foreign, unbiased examiners” - said Jon Batzdorff based in the USA, the Head of Protez Hub International Expert Committee and the President of Prosthetika Foundation.
Protez Hub team firmly believes that now is the best time to introduce these changes. The growing number of amputees in Ukraine requires the sustainability of amputee care and qualified prosthetics services. In 2024 Protez Hub helped launch Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics programs at four local national medical universities and facilitate their collaboration with Jonkoping University in Sweden. This is the first time that such programs were established in Ukraine, as prior to that most Ukrainian professionals involved in fitting amputees with prosthetics were either trained on the job or through short-term training programs.
“One properly trained professional, one quality technology that’s introduced and implemented in Ukraine can help thousands of people for a very reasonable investment of time and money. I call it an investment, not an assistant or an aid, because supporting the projects aimed at sustainability and localization of services ensures that those who lost their limbs can become active members of the society, participate in economic activities and create wealth for themselves and others. It is truly fascinating to realize that” - summarizes Antonina Kumka.