This project report details the in-country technical assistance provided by International Society of Prosthetics & Orthotics (ISPO) Australian National Member Society (ANMS) to Tungaru Rehabilitation Service (TRS) on the Island of Tarawa, Kiribati towards the set-up of a Prosthetics & Orthotics workshop.
The TRS, based on the site of Tungaru Central Hospital (TCH), provides physiotherapy, prosthetics & orthotics (P&O) and wheelchair services to both inpatients and outpatients. The TRS is the principle multidisciplinary rehabilitation service for all of Kiribati, and regularly provides community-based rehabilitation (CBR) within Tarawa and to outer islands.
In October 2012, the TRS facility was destroyed by fire. In 2013, a temporary orthotics workshop was established with assistance from ISPO ANMS in partnership with Motivation Australia. In 2014, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded the rebuild and fit out of the Tungaru Rehabilitation Centre – a new purpose-built facility was completed in 2015.
From August 13th-31st 2015, a representative from ISPO ANMS provided in-country technical assistance to assist the installation of machinery and equipment in order to allow resumption of prosthetics & orthotics services.
This work is the continuation of ISPO ANMS assistance towards the provision of high-quality, accessible and appropriate prosthetic & orthotic devices in the Pacific region.