H.E. Mrs. Thippawan Supamitkitja, Ambassador of Thailand to Senegal, on behalf of the Royal Thai Government, handed over the new prosthetics and orthotics production machines and related equipment, totalling 193 items, worth 2,639,000 baht or approximately 50,000,000 FCFA to the Foundation for Disabled and Mutilated Militaries (F.I.M.M.) under the Development Cooperation Project on Prosthesis between Thailand and Senegal. The said machines and related equipment will be installed at the new Prosthetic Centre in Bambilor, Senegal. Colonel Makha Keïta, President of the Council of F.I.M.M., represented the Foundation at the ceremony and Director of Ouakam Military Hospital, Director of the Armed Forces, members of the Board of the Foundation, Director of Army Health and the Foundation’s prosthetics technicians also participated in the event organized at Cercle Messe des Officiers, Dakar.

The cooperation project on prosthesis (phase II) is an extension of cooperation in establishing the prosthetic centre (phase I) for F.I.M.M. at Ouakam Military Hospital in Dakar, which the Royal Thai Embassy in Dakar, in cooperation with Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and Prostheses Foundation of Her Royal Highness Princess Mother of Thailand, carried out in 2011 on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of Thailand-Senegal Diplomatic Relations. On that occasion, Thailand’s contribution consisted of donating prosthetics and orthotics production machines and related equipment, organizing trainings in Thailand for Senegalese prosthetic technicians as well as sending experts to Senegal to install the production machine and related equipment, to provide guidance on its operation, and to offer consultation on prosthetic production.

In 2021, the Thai Government agreed to renew and to further promote the cooperation in order to update the machines and equipment as requested by the Senegalese side. In 2022, Thailand organized training courses on (1) Basic Lower Limb (2) Advanced Lower Limb (3) Upper Limb Prosthesis and Orthosis and (4) Maintenance and Repair of the Machines, Tools and Equipment of the Foundation’s sand-casting Prosthesis Fabrication for Senegalese prosthetics technicians in Thailand in order to update the machine and technology as well as their knowledge and also for the new Prosthetics Centre to become the regional hub, both in Senegal and West Africa region, in order that Senegal can share knowledge and expertise with other countries in the region.