LG Electronics has made a donation of Ksh. 4 Million P.C.E.A Kikuyu Hospital’s Orthopedic Rehabilitation Unit. The money will go towards assisting the unit to acquire prosthetics, for over 100 incapable patients as well as generate awareness on the plight of persons with physical impairments.
PCEA Kikuyu Hospital receives over 1000 cases annually from across the country and handles about 800 procedures annually. Unfortunately, more than half of these patients are not capable to acquire prosthetics owing to the high cost of treatment. At the moment, the average cost for above knee prosthesis for both adults and children is about Sh 50,000 while below knee prosthesis for both is about Sh 30,000.
Mr. Janghoon Chung, LG East Africa MD, noted that, demand for affordable prosthetics far outweighs the supply in the country, a fact that is further complicated by financial constraints of most patients. He continued to say, “There are currently about 45 million amputees worldwide. More than half a million of them are in Kenya and the numbers keep increasing every year. Many people do not know that those amputees’ prosthetics usually require several replacements over their lifetime.”
The hospital’s CEO Mr. Patrick Kimpiatu, had this to say, “Accidents are inevitable in life and this is why we should always come together to support those who have been affected to get back on their feet, both literally and in other ways. We have witnessed LG’s life changing people’s lives and helping them get back to playing an active role in the society as contributors to the economy.”
To commemorate the occasion, LG Electronics and Kikuyu Hospital staff members participated in the planting of 500 trees at the hospital and neighbouring Alliance Girls High School to mark 13 years of their contribution to the lives of the numerous orthopaedic patients benefiting.