THE PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL HEALTH NEEDS AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR AMPUTEES.

Hope is on the horizon for citizens of Saint Lucia who are in need of prosthetic limbs. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently to establish an artificial limb centre in Saint Lucia.

The Saint Lucia Artifical Limb Centre is a community project headed by the Rotary Club Caribbean Plus in close collaboration with the Government of Saint Lucia, the Tapion Foundation, and Montero Medical Missions.

Mr. Conrad Wagner of Rotary Club Caribbean Plus said the signing ceremony is a commitment to overcome financial and logistical hurdles, in order to improve the quality of life for citizens living with limb loss.

“We want to work very closely not just with Tapon Hospital but with the medical fraternity in general to ensure that when amputations are done it will be with the goal for these people to eventually receive an artificial limb, and that we can provide some kind of support for amputees.”

The Minister for Home Affairs, Crime Prevention and Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Jeremiah Norbert, drew from his lived experience with a prosthesis.

“This is to ensure that we can empower people, return their independence, and give them an opportunity to create the life that they always dreamed of. I have a prosthesis, I'm thankful, I'm fortunate, and my dream as the Minister for Persons with Disabilities is to ensure that everyone who requires a prosthesis will get one.

Tapion Hospital Board Member, Dr. Stephen King, underscored the challenges faced by amputees, and stressed the importance of the artificial limb centre in offering renewed hope, dignity, and independence to those who have long been disadvantaged by the absence of accessible prostheses.

“Do you know how many of our Saint Lucian people lose their limbs from diabetes, trauma, and it's growing. We have well over 300 people who require limbs. And if any of us were to tie one of our feet to one of our thighs and try to navigate daily, we would understand what it is not to have a limb. This program is a massive step toward improving the quality of life of our people.”

The establishment of the Saint Lucia Artificial Limb Centre stands as a testament to the power of partnership and perseverance in addressing critical health needs. The centre is expected to be completed in 2026 and will be housed at the Tapion Hospital.

The official signing ceremony took place on October 2, 2025.