Starting from 10 May, Ukrainian servicemen will be able to receive highly functional prostheses and orthoses at public expense more quickly.
New decision regarding military prosthetics
By its decision, the Cabinet of Ministers amended Procedure No. 518, adopted back in 2020, so that people who have lost limbs as a result of injuries can use modern technologies and return to active life as soon as possible.
By its decision, the Cabinet of Ministers amended Procedure No. 518, adopted back in 2020, so that people who have lost limbs as a result of injuries can use modern technologies and return to active life as soon as possible.
Previously, combatants could receive such prostheses only after the primary prosthesis had expired, which is usually three years.
The Ministry noted that the new changes allow the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities to pay for a new, more technologically sophisticated and more expensive prosthesis a year after the primary prosthesis, if such a prosthesis has different functional characteristics.
For example, at the stage of primary prosthetics, a defender with an amputated leg at the hip level received a high-quality prosthesis with a hydraulic knee unit.
The doctor may recommend a more innovative prosthesis with a microprocessor (electric) knee unit, which works on a different principle and can contribute to a more natural gait and easier stair climbing.
As a result of our communication with combatants, veterans’ organisations and prosthetic companies, we saw the need to revise the procedure for providing such prostheses to those who have been using their primary prosthesis for 12 months,’ said Vitaliy Muzychenko, Director General for the Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities fund.
