Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic & Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS), a ray of hope for thousands of people with physical disabilities, resulting from land mines, war victims, bomb blast, Fire army injury, road traffic accident, congenital deformities and polio, providing rehabilitation services at Hayatabad.

Speaking to Daily Times, Managing Director (MD) of the PIPOS Dr Umar Ayub Khan stated that the PIPOS previously known as PETCOT was initially a humanistic initiative during Pak-Afghan war with a sole purpose to support people with physical disabilities caused by the war.

The institute has now grown up to international level of centre in the services relating to fix artificial limbs and even polio patients in the region. The center is making breakthrough in a combative and iconoclastic treatment initiative that appears to sideline traditional way of treatment to affected peoples, including kids and women patients with physiological and psychological disabilities.

The PIPOS comprises of two sections; first one is of Academic and second is of Service delivery. The Academic provides B.Sc (Hons) in the field of prosthetics and orthotics from Khyber Medical University (KMU) of international standards, in addition to Bachelor programme Academic offers two year diploma course in lower limb prosthetic and orthotics. According to the MD, the PIPOS will start research programme including the MS and M Phil programme. In this regard the nominations of vice deans from Academic and service delivery would be done on merit soon who will be the part of Deanery at the Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Peshawar.

The service section , offers free rehabilitative services in the form of artificial limbs (prostheses), supports/braces, (orthoses), walking aid & physiotherapy, to the patients with free boarding and lodging, and transportation to the patients. In addition, the center has the capacity to provide clinical psychological support to all patients under the treatment. “We consider it predominantly important when we receive a patient with some disabilities to give them mental counseling,” the officials claimed.

They said the centre has hundreds of successful case studies, where patients after receiving treatment are living a happy life and making positive contribution to the society. “We look forward to have a great relation with all stakeholders including provincial government for assistance to serve people with amputation issues,” MD Umar maintained. He said initially GIZ Germany was the donor and currently International Committee Red Cross (ICRC) and World Health Organization (WHO) supporting the institute, ICRC supports the 85-90% of PIPOS services.

All those international community who support PIPOS are satisfied with our performance and have recognized our services additionally they keep a vigilant eye over the institute’s operations and quality of its service delivery. ICRC will establish a separate Start of the Art Rehabilitation center for PIPOS at Nasir Bagh road Peshawar in next three years to extend its service portion purely on humanistic purpose, the official added. “We are at a balanced position in term of funds for our ongoing services but we need sufficient funds as our patients and requirements are increasing with each passing day, the vision of PIPOS is to extend its Rehabilitation services in each district of KP to provide the services at the door steps.