Reference :
V-F-CR-F-00380
Date :
05/1998
Title :
Phnom Penh : fabrique de composants orthopédiques = Phnom Penh's component factory
Duration :
00:08:35
Editor :
unknown
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Production company :
ICRC
ICRC producer :
none
Description :
These two films demonstrate the technical aspects of manufacturing polypropylene components of prostheses and their use in Cambodia. The orthopaedic programme of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Cambodia got under way in 1991, when the ICRC set up a polypropylene component factory in Phnom Penh. The components are dispatched to the ICRC prosthetic workshop in Battambang, near the most heavily mined area of the country, and to workshops run by other organizations involved in the physical rehabilitation of mine victims. From its long experience in war-affected countries, the ICRC knew that high-quality materials such as wood, leather or metal were expensive and often hard to obtain locally; in many countries they had to be imported. In 1988 the ICRC therefore decided to start manufacturing prostheses from polypropylene, a material which has many advantages: it is cheap, recyclable, easy to obtain and to store. The prostheses made from it are light but strong. Procedures are standardized so that amputees can have their prostheses repaired or adjusted in workshops operated by different organizations. The ICRC now uses polypropylene throughout the world.
French title :
Phnom Penh : fabrique de composants orthopédiques
English title :
Phnom Penh's component factory
Colour/B&W :
colour
Original material/format :
Digital Betacam
Best material/format available :
Digital Betacam
To obtain other languages or formats, please contact us
