PESHAWAR: Mahboob Medical Institute (MMI)is establishing School of Prosthetics and Orthotic to ensure rehabilitation services to the people suffering from disabilities.

`The Khyber Medical University has carried one inspection and another is scheduled within a month after which the school would get recognition,` Dr Mahboobur Rehman of MMI told Dawn.

He said that in the first batch, 15 students with pre-medical intermediate qualification would beregisteredforfour-yeardegree programme and classes would commence in September in the first-ever school of its kind in the country.

Dr Mahboob said that theschool would produce trained personnel, who would provide functional artiñcial devices like limbs and arms etc to the handicapped people to make them ef fective members of the society.

`There are some cosmetic devices, which cannot be used for any work, but we are working to manufacture devices through which the handicapped people would be empowered to develop skills and get education and earn their livelihoods,` he said.

Dr Mahboob said that warstricken Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas had disabled people, who could be made normal through artiñcialdevices.

`Special, polio-affected and children with club foot and cerebral palsy besides those with paralysis and spinal cord injuries and those having had amputated their limbs and arms would be given free assistance with the help of donor agencies,` he said.

The workshop of the school is already functional. Mohammad Fayyaz, 20, who lost his arm in an electric shock a few years ago, isthe first beneficiary of the workshop. He was given a free device through which he can write, eat and perform other activities.

He said that the workshop of the school proved a blessing for him. `Previously, I used an artificial arm only for cosmetic purpose but the new one has enabled me to hold spoon, pen and do small tasks,` said Mr Fayyaz.

Sajjad Hussain, assistant professor at the school, said that there was need for more assistive services to rehabilitate the disabled people. `The World Health Organisation has estimated that there are three million people with physical disabilities, majority of them live in third world countries including Pakistan,` he added.

Mr Hussain said that they needed to produce human resources in prosthetic and orthotic technologies to cater to the needs of the people with disabilities. He said that such people couldn`t get proper services at the public sector outlets owing to workload.

`We need to develop privatesector to ensure rehabilitation services,` he said.

Mr Hussain, who did MSc from Australia, said that handicapped people faced social exclusion as they were confined to their homes that further deteriorated their condition.

`There is extensive research on rehabilitation of disabled people worldwide to reduce their problems. The school seeks to produce manpower and benefit maximum people,` he said.

Mr Hussain said that motivation and vocational empowerment of handicapped population was part of the curriculum.

The school will have interdisciplinary committee consisting of physiotherapist, psychologist, speech therapist, orthotist and prosthetic specialist and audiologists to ensure better results of any intervention and ensure that the beneficiary works independently.

`We are also conducting a survey to ascertain the number of the disabled people and make plan for their rehabilitation, said Mr Hussain.