Police officer Simon Schembri one of first patients at new prosthetics and orthotics unit

Police officer Simon Schembri, who was the victim of a brutal hit-and-run incident in May which resulted in the loss of one of his limbs, will be amongst the first patients to benefit from a new prosthetics and orthotics unit at St Luke’s Hospital, which was officially opened today.

Health Minister Chris Fearne said Schembri would in the next few days be fitted with one of the most advance bionic prosthetics available, as he highlighted that the new unit would be serving over 15,000 patients.

“The unit will not only offer a much nicer environment, but also a better service to patients,” Fearne underlined, “Certain prosthetic manufacturing which had to be done abroad can now be done here, every day.”

“The high demand for prosthetics is related to the high rate of diabetes, which we are fighting to lower,” Fearne said.

The changes undertaken in the past months to create the new unit were a clear example of the way forward towards refurbishing the hospitals, St Luke’s Hospital CEO Stephen Zammit said, as he thanked Steward Health Care for the project.

“The new OPU now offers a much better environment than the previous dilapidated building,” Zammit said, “All necessary tools and equipment are now all under one roof.”