For 1st Time in Saudi Arabia, Facility for Prosthetics Using 3D Technology

The use of the digital industry in the manufacture of limbs reduces the chance of human errors (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The use of the digital industry in the manufacture of limbs reduces the chance of human errors (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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For 1st Time in Saudi Arabia, Facility for Prosthetics Using 3D Technology

The use of the digital industry in the manufacture of limbs reduces the chance of human errors (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The use of the digital industry in the manufacture of limbs reduces the chance of human errors (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Heal-Tec, a Saudi-based medical rehabilitation manufacturing facility, is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia to manufacture prostheses, prosthetic devices and aids using digital industry that includes scanning and 3D printing.

Co-founded in 2020 by Dr. Hashim AlZain and Eng. Ayman Noori, HealTec is a dedicated B2B healthcare rehabilitation manufacturing facility that enables the local production of medical prosthetics and other devices to serve long-term care and rehabilitation patients.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, AlZain said that the use of digital industry in the manufacture of prosthetics has many benefits, including accuracy of measurements and speed of response, as it allows the production of accurate and complex parts more and faster than traditional methods, allowing patients to have a quick treatment and recovery.

According to AlZain, previous traditional methods were done either by using gypsum or meter measurements, and depended on the skill of the service provider; thus, human errors were frequent. But the use of this technology has greatly reduced these risks, he underlined.

AlZain noted that the size of the prosthetics market amounted to 3.7 billion Saudi riyals annually. He added that during the next five years, the factory’s share would reach 85 million riyals, to cover approximately 40 percent of the local needs.

Service providers in hospitals and rehabilitation centers usually import all the material from outside the Kingdom, which necessitates a long period of supply. Prosthetics and auxiliary devices may take more than three weeks to be supplied, which causes a backlog in appointments.

HealTec provides its manufacturing services to rehabilitation hospitals and healthcare centers across the Kingdom in record time compared to the traditional means, which rely heavily on imports.

The factory is also able to export prosthetics, devices, and aids to neighboring countries through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, which enhances the implementation of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.



Out-of-Control Australia Bushfire Will Burn for Days, Officials Say

 22 December 2024, Australia, Halls Gap: A general view of a smokey Lake Bellfield at Halls Gap. Immediate evacuation orders are in place for towns across Victoria as out-of-control blazes and sweltering temperatures begin Australia's bushfire season. Photo: James Ross/AAP/dpa
22 December 2024, Australia, Halls Gap: A general view of a smokey Lake Bellfield at Halls Gap. Immediate evacuation orders are in place for towns across Victoria as out-of-control blazes and sweltering temperatures begin Australia's bushfire season. Photo: James Ross/AAP/dpa
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Out-of-Control Australia Bushfire Will Burn for Days, Officials Say

 22 December 2024, Australia, Halls Gap: A general view of a smokey Lake Bellfield at Halls Gap. Immediate evacuation orders are in place for towns across Victoria as out-of-control blazes and sweltering temperatures begin Australia's bushfire season. Photo: James Ross/AAP/dpa
22 December 2024, Australia, Halls Gap: A general view of a smokey Lake Bellfield at Halls Gap. Immediate evacuation orders are in place for towns across Victoria as out-of-control blazes and sweltering temperatures begin Australia's bushfire season. Photo: James Ross/AAP/dpa

An uncontained bushfire raging in Australia's Victoria state that has prompted an evacuation order for hundreds of residents will burn for several days, officials said on Sunday.

The order to leave immediately, set at the highest danger rating, remained in place for the fire in and around Grampians National Park, about 241 km (149 miles) west of state capital Melbourne, Victoria's emergency services agency said on its website.

"There's a lot of unburnt fuel in the Grampians still, so it's quite a challenge for the days ahead", Country Fire Authority deputy chief officer Garry Cook told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, referring to the fire that now covered 34,000 hectares (84,000 acres) of bush.

The blaze, sparked on Tuesday by lightning, prompted authorities on Saturday to urge residents of several rural towns such as Halls Gap, population 495, to evacuate.

Hundreds of firefighters have battled the bushfire, using more than 100 tankers and 25 aircraft, ABC reported on Saturday.

Authorities have warned of a high-risk bushfire season this Australian summer after several quiet seasons. The 2019-2020 "Black Summer" fires destroyed an area the size of Türkiye and killed 33 people.