Pathways for Dispensing Upper Limb Prostheses in Bahia - Brazil

Resumo

Access to prostheses for amputees presents problems in terms of dispensing efficiency, whether due to budgetary issues or the lack of expansion of health care centers for people with disabilities. The Specialized Rehabilitation Centers are outpatient rehabilitation centers that diagnose, treat, prescribe, adapt, and maintain assistive technologies, such as prostheses, and serve as a reference for the healthcare network in the territory. However, in the state of Bahia, the procedures for dispensing upper limb prostheses contrast with those for lower limb prostheses. This article presents an overview of prosthesis dispensation in Bahia, as well as the paths that amputees take to obtain an upper limb prosthesis, and shows through documentary research the incompleteness of actions closer to the municipalities where amputees live, in addition to the time it takes to access the prosthesis.