By Vincent Khonje
Kasungu Lions Club has donated physiotherapy equipment and eye glasses to Kasungu District Hospital and Chilanga School for the Blind respectively.
The equipment to the hospital includes 11 walkers, 12 walking stick and a wheel chair while school for the blind students, teachers and surrounding communities got free eye tests and part of eye glasses which consists of 1226 pieces of various types and sizes.
Receiving the hospital equipment District Medical Officer Dr Ulemu Zulu said the donation was timely as the hospital’s physiotherapy department needs equipment to help patients with fractures recover.
“Kasungu is a very busy hospital and currently the physiotherapy department is overwhelmed with skeletal fractures. So the donation is very timely as it will help in rehabilitation of patients,” said Zulu.
Assistant Deputy Head teacher at Chilanga School for the Blind Happy Nthala said the eye glasses will benefit the students to focus on their studies as they cannot concentrate or read with itchy or painful eyes caused by direct light
“The students have different degrees of blindness. Those who are completely blind need tinted glasses to reduce direct sunlight, while those with partial blindness can be able to see properly with the aid of the eye glasses,” said Nthala.
Kasungu Lions Club President Lion Masiye Muhiwa said they decided of extending the donation to others after getting the same from their partners from the United Kingdom(UK) called Zikomo Trust.
“We thought of donating physiotherapy equipment to Kasungu hospital being a refferal hospital which receives cases from other health facilities,
“We also decided to help students at Chilanga with eye glasses to help those who may need the glasses but are unable to buy them to have that opportunity,” said Muhiwa.
The club’s partners Zikomo Trust is a group of UK citizens who have once worked in Malawi and Kasungu in particular.
The trust also supported Kasungu Lions Club to construct a classroom block at Mtunthama primary school.