Efforts of the Joint Centre for Research in Prosthetics and Orthotics and Rehabilitation Programmes (JCRPO) in Physical Rehabilitation of the Disabled in Saudi Arabia

摘要

The Joint Centre for Research in Prosthetics & Orthotics and Rehabilitation Programmes (JCRPO) was initiated in 1407 H (1987 G) as a joint project between the Ministry of Health and King Saud University, Riyadh, under the patronage of the founder, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defence and Aviation and the Inspector-General. The Centre aims to promote, update, propagate, and disseminate knowledge and techniques related to disability management and rehabilitation engineering and technology. It is endeavouring to fulfill this objective through applied research, invention of new devices, provision of rehabilitation equipments, services, educational and training programmes. It is also involved in writing, translating and publishing literature related to disability and rehabilitation for the benefit of professionals, students, caregivers, and for enhancing public awareness about disabled people, disabled children, their needs and problems. Apart from this it is establishing cooperation with similar centres and relevant institutions within and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to render the services to the disabled. So far the JCRPO has served thousands of disabled individuals since its inception. It has received different kinds of handicapped children with various medical problems such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, neurometabolic diseases, birth palsies, mental retardation, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, genetically inherited disorders, osteogenesis imperfecta, spinal dysraphism, congenital malformations, foot disorders, speech and hearing impairment and others. Among the various kinds of rehabilitation services rendered to these children are specialised seating systems, orthoses, prostheses, walking aids, silicone restoration prostheses, physical therapy, special education, social help and home services. The JCRPO is the only centre in the Kingdom as well as in the Arab region which has introduced the specialized seating system for the bedridden or wheelchair-bound disabled children. At present it has gone to the extent of producing such systems within the Kingdom to make it readily available for the patients.