Prosthetic limb shortage in Solomon Islands

There's a desperate shortage of artificial limbs in Solomon Islands, an NGO says.

Motivation Australia estimates hundreds of prosthetics are needed in the Solomons to address a diabetes crisis but it said there was no way to make them locally.

The Pacific suffers from high rates of diabetes related amputations and health services are often unable to cope.

Motivation's chief executive Kylie Mines said in Solomon Islands, many people were going without artificial limbs since the recent shutdown of the country's only prosthetics workshop.

"Unfortunately, the situation in the Solomons at the moment is that those people are being discharged and returning home without a means of mobility, or they may be prescribed with a wheelchair," Ms Mines said.