Amputees are getting a helping hand in Paraguay

In May 2014, Elias Benitez, 36, lost his right hand after an accident at work.The hand “could have been saved,” he says, “but the doctors estimated that the operation would have taken 14 hours, and they had many patients in more serious conditions waiting for medical attention. So they decided to amputate.”The accident was “a really big blow,” Benitez says.But in January 2015, he was offered the chance to get his hand back – albeit in a slightly different form.Benitez was offered a prosthetic hand by Po Paraguay, a non-profit organisation that makes 3D-printed prostheses.Founded in Asuncion by friends Fernando Vallese and Eric Dijkhuis, Po Paraguay has changed the lives of hundreds of Paraguayans.The word “Po” in the native Guarani language means “hand”, and the initials in Spanish also stand for “orthopaedic piece.”The devices are made from a 3D-printed plastic polymer and braided wires that go from the tips of the fingers to the ends of the triceps. The hand is activated when the user bends their wrist or elbow.The hand can stretch, bend, close and open, allowing the user to perform many of the major functions of a normal hand.“It is worn like a glove,” Vallese says, “and does not require any type of surgery.”Po Paraguay receives about 80 per cent of its funding from private and individual donors. Twenty per cent comes through services provided to other prosthetic device companies, for example by selling them parts to repair broken machinery.The Paraguayan health system currently provides only minimal prosthetic limbs and there is a lot of red tape involved, which can be daunting. On average, the health system delivers about 10 prosthetic limbs per year.Meanwhile, Po Paraguay produces an average of about 120 artificial hands per year.The company is the only one of its kind in the South American country. Another company attempted to provide the same kind of service but failed because it was too focused on profit-making.The prosthetic hands have had a profound effect on the emotional well-being of users. And they have had an impact on others as well, says Vallese.“The first thing a person tells us is that people see them differently. They see them in a good light. There is no rejection. They see the hand as something positive – especially children, who are generally very direct.”A child with a so-called Po can move from being the butt of jokes to the centre of attention, because they have a “bionic hand.”Benitez only takes off his prosthesis to bathe or sleep. He leaves his house more often now. “Before, people would look at me differently. Now when they see me, they ask me if it is a bionic hand, and I don’t need to wear gloves. I have no reason to hide myself.”Enthusiastic about his new life, Benitez has begun to learn the violin and the guitar. He is slowly working towards doing everything with his artificial hand that he would do with a normal hand.“But accomplishing only five per cent would already constitute huge success,” he says.The standard model of the Po costs just 200 US dollars. The makers print it in 48 hours and it takes a week to learn how to use it. If damaged, “it can be repaired in a matter of days,” Vallese says.Po Paraguay has already expanded into Argentina, Brazil and Honduras, and is planning to continue growing so that it can help patients in need of prosthetic hands anywhere in the world. “We ask people for photographs. We send them instructions on how to take the pictures and the shipment is made to wherever. There are no customs or legal problems [in other countries] because a prosthetic piece is considered an accessory, much like a watch or a shoe,” Vallese explains.“A photograph is enough [for us to work with] as long as the patient follows the steps we request specifically when taking the photograph. There are some types of amputation that might need video as well, but usually a photograph is sufficient,” Vallese says.“Currently we are delivering pieces in Honduras and Argentina without any problems. People can get in touch with us through Facebook,” he adds.Po Paraguay also has staff in these two countries to help people fit their prosthetic hand and show them how to use it. Video-conferencing is also sometimes used help to correct problems.Vallese, Dijkhuis and their assistants do not want the story to end here and are already developing prostheses of upper limbs, with a view to them being available later this year.“We are working on knees, but we need quite a bit more time to move forward on that. It is not an easy process. It will take between six and eight months to complete that project,” Vallese says.He sees only more success in the future. “The outlook is good. This is going to continue to grow.” – DPA