Demand for prosthetic limbs by amputees outpaces supply in Baghdad

Demand for prosthetic limbs by amputees outpaces supply in Baghdad
James Palmer, Chronicle Foreign Service
Tuesday, September 4, 2007

(09-04) 04:00 PDT Baghdad - --
Ibrahim Sadic Shokic stares at the wide scar that runs along what remains of his leg.
Thirteen months ago, surgeons severed the 15-year-old's right leg above the knee after it was mangled by a roadside bomb while Shokic was enjoying a sunset stroll in central Baghdad.
Four months after the attack, Shokic was fitted for an artificial limb at a government facility, but he is still waiting for his prosthesis - tottering along on a pair of decrepit crutches he bought on the black market for $40.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/04/MNPVRTF15.DTL&type=health