In a major innovative step, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness has launched a new digital 3D scanning and printing service for spinal braces at its Orthotic and Prosthetic Centre (OPC) for the public health sector, reports The Citizen.
The innovation will make a significant different to patient quality of life for those afflicted with scoliosis, spinal injuries and other conditions, said Mireille Wenger, provincial health and wellness Minister.
“These braces help to reduce pain, support recovery, and prevent further complications,” she added.
The R5.5m investment will change patient’s lives, cutting waiting time from two weeks to two days, and had already helped six patients.
“For children with scoliosis, getting a brace early can help prevent the curve in their spine from worsening as they grow. As one of the first government healthcare facilities to offer this service in-house, we are using innovation to help patients get the care they need, sooner,” she said.
The technology means patients can now be scanned within minutes, while standing and wearing light clothing. The scan is then digitally modified by clinicians, and the brace produced using 3D-printing technology, resulting in a lighter, more precise and more comfortable device.
The shorter turnaround time means patients with conditions like scoliosis, pectus carinatum (pigeon chest), spinal TB, compression fractures of the spine and spondylosis can receive supportive devices within 48 hours at less than half the cost of a traditional plaster-of-Paris-based brace.
Advanced technology
OPC facility manager Bongani Mlambo said the technology would help improve patient care.
“We are not just launching a printer; we are launching a new way of working,” he said. “This is how we become leaders in rehabilitation.
“It is a first on the African continent, and we will not be the last, because we will show others the way.”
Wenger said the OPC is the only orthotic/prosthetic centre in the public system in the province, producing and manufacturing bespoke orthoses and prostheses and services.
It provides 112 outreach services in various satellite locations in the Western Cape: services are provided through referrals from specialists or medical officers on an appointment basis.
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