Cape Town - The Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre in Lentegeur is one of a kind and is the biggest state funded supplier of prosthetic legs in the province. The centre has been operating for the last 10 years and has brought the gift of walking to approximately 150 000 patients.
According to the CEO of the The Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre, Jonathan Vaughan, the centre sees around 20 000 patients per year. It serves the whole of the province with the exception of the Eden District in the South Cape, where services are provided by a private provider.
There are approximately 15 private practices in Cape Town which sees to private patients.
“Our services include making sure the patient is ready for a prosthetic fitting, casting, Plaster of Paris modification, making a test leg, getting the patient walking on the test leg and doing alignment, sending patient home with test leg for approx 2 weeks and finishing off the leg which includes making a cosmetic cover if the patient wants one,” said Vaughan.
It takes between four and eight weeks, depending on the amputation level, for a patient to be fitted with a prosthetic leg.
Staff at the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre manufacture thousand of legs per year for patients. Video: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
One such patient is nine year old Josh Rinkwest from Lotus River. His leg was amputated because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his leg and cut off the blood supply. Not only was Josh born prematurely but he was only five days old when his leg was amputated. But according to his mom, Renee, the young man is not hindered in any way from doing what he loves.
Chief Medical Orthotist and Prosthetist Andrew Byett working with Josh Rinkwest(10) at the Orthotic and Prosthetic Centre in Pinelands. Andrew Byett is also an amputee due to a motorcycle accident when he was 20. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
“Josh plays golf, soccer, rides bicycle and is an avid swimmer,” said Rinkwest. She is full of praise for the services provided by the rehab centre and even joked that Josh often gets the first and newest parts.
Josh Rinkwest was born prematurely at 27 weeks, weighing only 670 grams at birth. On delivery, doctors discovered that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his leg and it did not develop properly. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
“They are awesome, very helpful. They do amazing work,” said Rinkwest.