Abdul Latif Jameel Hospital recently held an event in Jeddah to mark World Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day. The event focused on Hybrid Assistive Limb technology — the world’s first cyborg-type robot exoskeleton, through which the wearer’s functions can be improved and supported. The technology has been introduced as part of Abdul Latif Jameel Health’s continued efforts to promote global best practices in the healthcare and medical field.
The event welcomed spinal cord injury patients, who spoke about their experiences and daily life challenges, in addition to social organizations that offer services such as covering the costs of treatment and surgeries and providing assistive movement tools to the potential beneficiaries.
Abdul Latif Jameel Health was the first to introduce Cyberdyne’s Hybrid Assistive Limb technology in Saudi Arabia, making it the fifth country in the world to deploy the technology that helps patients who have suffered traumatic spinal injuries — a step that comes in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to improve the quality of healthcare and services provided to patients.
The hospital, which has been successfully deploying the solution, has become a training hub for the Cyberdyne technology, conducting sessions with doctors, therapists and technicians at other medical facilities.
Cyberdyne’s HAL assists physically challenged/injured patients to move, by enabling them to exert more motor energy than usual. It can be successfully used in rehabilitation as the system can accelerate motor learning of cerebral nerves.
Faisal Alsamannoudi, chairman and CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Enterprises, said: “Hosting such initiatives reflects our dedication to spreading awareness about serious health issues, such as spinal cord injuries. At Abdul Latif Jameel Health, we are eager to increase accessibility to cutting-edge innovative health solutions for patients across the Kingdom, and introducing this spinal injury rehabilitation technology is a testament to our efforts.”
As one of the pioneers in the rehabilitative industry, Abdul Latif Jameel Hospital strives to always introduce cutting-edge technologies. The hospital is dedicated to guiding individuals toward enjoying a healthy, independent and fulfilling life, through quality care delivered by a highly qualified, competent and professional interdisciplinary rehabilitation team.
The international Spinal Cord Society declared Sept. 5 as Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day with the intention of increasing awareness among the general public. It is presumed that the awareness would facilitate an inclusive life for persons with disability and ensure greater chances of success of prevention programs.
