The best possible education – thanks to equipment from Ottobock

A bright functional building on the Rue de Bourgogne in Brussels is one of the most important addresses for budding O&P professionals in Belgium. This is where the Haute École Bruxelles-Brabant, known simply as “HE2B” to most students, maintains its campus specialising in paramedical training courses. Four subjects are taught at what is known as the ISEK Institute: aside from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and an interdisciplinary specialisation in geriatrics, the primary focus is training opportunities for O&P professionals and orthopaedic footwear technicians.

The attractive, well-equipped rooms feature an appealing mix of the old and new.

We are welcomed by Nibal Kabbara, one of the instructors on the campus who is also the owner of NK Orthopedics. She used to be a student at ISEK herself and experienced the acute shortage of workshop space. The extent of the investments that have been made in the machinery soon becomes apparent during her tour. The attractive, well-equipped rooms feature an appealing mix of the old and new. While the old workbenches are still there, they have been equipped with extractor hoods and high-performance vapour extraction systems.

Nibal reports:

“We were very short of machinery, and the situation was also unsafe because dust and vapours weren’t extracted adequately. Topics like occupational health and safety were not really a focus at the time. Looking at the new workshop now, the difference is like a dream come true!”

Nibal is proud as she recalls the time when the work rooms were refurbished: “The setup went really quickly; the Ottobock delivery team had everything installed and ready in five days.” Everyone looked forward to getting started in the new workshop.

Everything from a single source

Aside from the new workstation equipment, Ottobock also provided tool starter packages for the first semester students. Which makes this project a great example of how Ottobock Planning & Equipping, Materials puts the motto “One stop − all around the workshop” into practice.