‘New Limb, New Life’ for Amputees

The ‘New Limb, New Life’ programme is providing opportunity for amputees to regain their mobility, while educating persons about the debilitating effects of non-communicable diseases (NCD), says Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

Under the $50-million initiative, prosthetic legs and arms are provided to qualified persons who have lost limbs due to a health condition or trauma.

Dr. Tufton, who spoke with JIS News at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation in St. Andrew on Wednesday (December 20), where he observed persons being fitted for prosthetics, said the programme is “giving a number of Jamaicans the opportunity to move around and to be mobile”.

He said that a key part of the programme is to emphasise the importance of healthy lifestyle habits, as most amputations are due to NCDs, particularly diabetes.

“The programme is intended to educate the public about diabetes because 95 per cent of people who lose a limb, it is because of complications with diabetes. So, a big part of the programme is not just to replace a limb,” he noted.

New Limb, New Life supports the ‘#KnowYourNumbers’ initiative, which aims to get Jamaicans to do regular screenings to ascertain their health status and modify their behaviour to reduce illness and premature death.

Dr. Tufton announced the programme in Parliament on May 3, and on August 16, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. for collaboration with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) to identify beneficiaries.

Applicants for the programme must be between the ages of 13 and 60, who have lost a limb and are registered with the JCPD.

Persons must be assessed by the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre or a qualified orthopedic surgeon to determine their suitability.