In a melancholic tone, Dr Hovhannes Tshughuryan says, "I have handled more prosthetic cases since the political strife in Iraq and Lebanon."
Dr Tshughuryan, an Armenian prosthetic orthotist and proprietor of Fine Orthopaedic & Body Care, Dubai, deals with four to five prosthetic cases a month.
"Apart from accident cases, I also work with patients with special needs including those who need sport prosthetics," says Dr Tshughuryan, who has worked in the UAE for 11 years and has two branches - in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.
"These (sport prosthetics) are more expensive; regular prosthetics cost around Dh15,000. Sport prosthetics have to be designed according to specific activities such as running, long jump, cycling and swimming," he says.
There are more than 10 million severely physically challenged people in the Arab world, and the market for rehabilitation products is estimated at $7 billion (about Dh25.6 billion) annually, according to INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions Organisation Est, the organisers of REHAB, a forum that brings together educators, paramedics, medical professionals, people with special needs, rehabilitation professionals and manufacturers of rehabilitation equipment.
Hana A. Aziz Abu Holy, the project manager, says, "We had more than 700 participants at REHAB 2006, which was organised with the Dubai Club for Special Sports.
"In REHAB 2008, we will discuss related topics including sport rehabilitation, particularly in the areas of therapeutic exercise and modalities, injury evaluation and the psychological aspects of rehabilitation."
Dr Tshughuryan, who was a participant in REHAB 2006, says, "We need such forums to address rehabilitation issues in the region."
For information on REHAB 2008 visit www.rehab.ae
