The Mekelle orthopedics and physiotherapy center (MOPC) was established in February 1992 G.C. so as to provide orthopedic services to persons with disabilities,specially amputated patients. This was actually made possible with the assistance of ICRC, Partners such as Commission For Rehabilitation of Members of Former Army and Disabled War Veterans, Ethiopian Red Cross Society and REST (Relief Society of Tigray).

The MOPC is now re-organized and it is made to be under the auspices of TDVA management to strengthen the service provisions of physical rehabilitation to civilian and non-civilian victims by providing orthopedics appliances and prostheses materials and more importantly modern physiotherapy treatment services.

The center is made to be strenghtened in terms of its service giving potential that include expansion of production workshops and any other premises, machinery and the availability of technical personals.

Some preliminary assessments in the area of para- medical rehabilitation services in the region, especially physical rehabilitation services, show that they are by far less developed in comparison with the anticipated needs. According to the same source:

- There exist a wide Gap between the need and availability of services in Tigray and near by regions

- The delay in the flow of patients to the center as they are economically incapable and despite the fact that the center is still providing subsidized services

- Lack of financial assistance or sponsorship facilities in providing subsidized services to the economically incapable poorest community

- Problems of transportation facilities to establish a mobile workshop especially in the remotest rural areas and in line with the economic bottlenecks many of the patients complain for the expensiveness and are unable to cover transportaition and any other accomodation costs.

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