This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Ultra-Modern Orthopedic Center to Transform Healthcare in Western Kenya ¶
On August 28, 2019, a 40Ft container filled with orthopedic and laboratory equipment was received at Lugulu Mission Hospital in Bungoma County, marking a significant milestone in the launch of the Lugulu Orthopedic project.
The project is one of several flagship initiatives launched by WECOHAS, a Western Community Health Organization, aimed at improving healthcare services in Western Kenya.
Other notable projects include the WECOHAS water project, transportation project, cancer treatment center, teaching, training, prevention, and research initiatives, as well as the WECOHAS Okoa Microfinance.
The proposed cancer hospital, set to be built in Kakamega County, will be a 200-bed facility with branches in Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga, and Trans Nzoia counties. The hospital will be 50% owned by the community through a trust, with Scandinavian Care (EA) Ltd (SCEA) holding a minority stake and management rights.
WECOHAS Director Prof. Chunge, Bungoma Chapter Chair Hon. Maurice Makhanu, WECOHAS Secretary General Dr. Nicholas Keya, WECOHAS Treasurer Bsp. Nicholas Olumasai, WECOHAS Okoa Microfinance CEO Justus Wanjala, Trustee James Mureka, County Commissioner, and the Management of Lugulu Mission Hospital received the container.
According to the Chairman of the Board, Lugulu Mission Hospital, the equipment will significantly help treat patients with bone and joint problems and train medical students taking orthopedic courses.
WECOHAS Bungoma Chapter Chairman thanked their diaspora counterparts for their good work and outlined the socio-economic benefits the project will bring to Western Kenya.
WECOHAS aims to make Lugulu Mission Hospital a major orthopedic treatment center not only in Kenya but within the East African region, led by leading orthopedic surgeons from the U.S., Dr. Dan Odipo and Dr. Joseph Wekesa, Dr. Godfrey Masinde, Cindy Odipo, Mark Meso, and the entire WECOHAS diaspora members.
The shipment has a price tag of over USD 500,000, and when completed, the orthopedic center will provide the most advanced care of its kind outside Nairobi.
