- The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints donated much-needed equipment including wheelchairs and mobility aids to the Department of Health and Wellness.
- The department received the donation at the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre with 900 wheelchairs and 2 260 mobility aids – which include commodes, walkers and crutches.
- Some donations have already been allocated to Khayelitsha, Eerste River, Mitchell’s Plain, New Somerset and Paarl hospitals among others.
The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints donated much-needed equipment including wheelchairs and mobility aids to the Department of Health and Wellness.
The donation will assist the department to clear backlogs and provide tailored aids to patients across the province.
On Thursday 16 November, the department received the donation at the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre with 900 wheelchairs and 2 260 mobility aids – which include commodes, walkers and crutches.
The wheelchairs include all-terrain wheelchairs, basic wheelchairs, urban active folding wheelchairs, rugged terrain folding wheelchairs and urban adjustable wheelchairs.
Further to the donation, hundreds of locals and staff participated in a wheelchair repair workshop training.
They were also equipped with the knowledge of repairing these chairs.
The church has also donated equipment and tools to establish four repair workshops.
The donation bolsters the department’s assistive services offered to persons with disabilities and reduces the waiting lists and backlogs experienced through tailored donations – rather than standard equipment.
Church President Imani Mwaipopo says: “God himself made this donation possible.”
Speaking as to how the church managed to make this possible, he continued that it is one thing to give but another to receive.
Simon Kaye, Chief Financial Officer in the department, thanked the church for the impact it had on the services offered.
“Thank you for trusting us as a steward for this donation,” he says.
David Nish, who wears a hearing aid, was one of the drivers of the donation on behalf of the church.
He applauded the efforts of senior staff who helped coordinate the donations and handed over a certificate of gratitude to the department.
In addition, Ophthalmology screening equipment was donated to the department. It will assist in screening for hearing and sight impairments of newborns and adults.
A further 196 hearing aids and prostheses were also donated.
Dr Joshua West, an ear, nose and throat surgeon, explains that 136 million people live with hearing loss in Africa.
In light of the large backlogs and long waiting lists, an implant for a 30-year-old father recently meant an instant improvement in quality of life.
Ricardo Loedewyk, a Stellenbosch resident who was involved in receiving chairs for his community, says the chairs were not old and unfit for their purpose.
He added that as someone who has been in a wheelchair for 28 years, the quality of seating is important.
“People like to say ‘wheelchair-bound’ but this is something that is liberating for us,” Loedewyk says.
Dr Juanita Arendse, the Chief Director for emergency and clinical services support in the department, says the value of the donation has strengthened services, especially in that it is tailored to the patient’s needs, creating immediate improvement to the quality of life.
Some donations have already been allocated to Khayelitsha, Eerste River, Mitchell’s Plain, New Somerset and Paarl hospitals among others.
Another donation, valued at over R5 million, will be received in the next 12 months.
