WSU PROSTHETICS SPECIALIST BRIDGES GAP BETWEEN HEALTHCARE AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITY

Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics (MOP) graduate, Siphosethu Mgwili has established a company to improve the lives of people living with disability through improved, functional, and affordable technological innovations.

The Physiology and Anatomy Masters student will be representing WSU and the Eastern Cape province in the National InterVarsity competitions hosted by the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) in November.

“Our aim is to create a bridge between medical device manufacturers/inventors/researchers and healthcare practitioners to improve access to advanced medical devices by creating affordable and environmentally suitable prosthetics limbs. We then had to establish a company called Azania Medivice to meet the needs of the people,” said Mgwili.

Mgwili was victorious in the “Innovative Business Idea” category at the regional EDHE intervarsity competition that was held in East London in October.

WSU entrepreneurship coordinator, Khanyisa Blaai said, “We are very excited for Siphosethu to have won the regional round of the competition which has resulted in her representing the institution in the nationals. It was not an easy road as some were participating for the first time, but it was humbling to see WSU students claiming their space in entrepreneurship space as we try to make it fashionable,”

Mgwili and her partner, Zanodumo Godlimpi from the MOP Department, invented a ground-breaking prosthetic leg that gives financial and physical relief to the over three million below-knee amputation casualties occurring annually.

“Due to financial constraints and lack of insurance, less than 10% of these amputees in developing regions have access to a prosthetic limb. Even simple devices without dynamic features are expensive, resulting in amputees settling for an ill-fitting device, or going without one at all. This causes serious health and mobility concerns for the amputees since there is a 50%, five-year mortality rate for amputees who remain sedentary,” said Mgwili.

According to Mgwili a few adjustable pylons have been developed, however none fit the goal to be achieved by her research invention as most are very expensive and heavy. For the more affordable ones, mechanism is not easily adjustable.

Mgwili will be heading to the national rounds will be held in the Western Cape in November.

By Ongezwa Sigodi