How 3D prosthetics change lives in Pakistan
KARACHI: Two weeks ago, Shabana moved her hand for the first time since her accident.
Where there were once amputated fingers, she now has a new, albeit bulky hand made of synthetic material. Designed to her body's measurements, and with no electronic elements, Shabana's artificial hand is among the first 3D printed prosthetics in Pakistan.
The project began with an unlikely meeting: Dr Hassan Zahid had recently moved back from Turkey when he ran into his neighbour, Rabi Imran, a 22-year-old working as an engineer at the time.
As the two got talking, the doctor told him about his travels abroad, where he witnessed the devastation of amputee children first-hand, and had seen the toll it can take on human life.
Concerned for those who get critically injured during war, Dr Hassan mentioned the need for affordable prosthetics in Pakistan, and other war-torn regions. He believed amputees should be reintegrated into society, and suggested that the advent of 3D printing technology could make this a reality sooner rather than later.