Activities
The New Zealand Artificial Limb Board (NZALB) is a Crown entity, constituted under the Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990. It is required to comply with the Public Finance Act 1989.
Nature and scope of activities
The NZALB provides individualized services to rehabilitate its clients towards attaining the best possible quality of life and levels of independence, within the wider context of their families and communities. Rehabilitation is achieved through constructing and fitting artificial limbs, providing ancillary services, and carrying out research and development.
The functions of the NZALB, as defined by the legislation, are to:
- manufacture, import, export, market, distribute, supply, fit, repair and maintain, artificial limbs and similar devices
- provide rehabilitation and other services to persons in connection with artificial limbs and similar devices
- carry out research and development in relation to artificial limbs and similar devices
- advise the Minister for Social Development and Employment on matters relating to artificial limbs and similar devices.
Contracts with the Ministry of Health and the ACC provide the funding for most clients, with a declining number of war amputees being funded separately, and a small number of specialized prostheses provided by private contract.