Through the 2008 fundraising efforts the Latin American Health Foundation will be supporting the Hospital Ortopedico Infantil in Caracas, Venezuela.
The Children’s Orthopedic Hospital is private non-profit institution whose primary mission is to care for Children of limited economic means affected with Osteomuscular disorders.
HISTORY
In 1942, when Polio was causing havoc among Venezuelan children, a visionary entrepreneur Eugenio Mendoza, founded the Venezuelan Foundation Against Infantile Paralysis, with the mission to provide care to the most vulnerable population affected by Polio: children living in poverty.
By 1956, Polio had been virtually eliminated, and the Hospital began to provide wider medical coverage to children. The Hospital focused on motor and neuromuscular disorders with the objective of integrating these children into society as useful members of their community.
With time, The Hospital has adapted to the needs of the population by expanding its range of services to include adults in its medical care and by reformulating it’s operating program into one of self-management.
THE HOSPITAL TODAY
Today, the Hospital provides medical care services in Diagnostic Orientation, Orthopedics, General Pediatrics, Urology, Neurology, Otorhinolaryngology, Neurosurgery, Genetics, Phoniatrics, General Surgery, Neuropediatrics, Immunology, Rheumatology, Pediatric Cardiology, Hand Surgery, Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Neumonology, among others. It also offers ambulatory services in the areas of Psychology, Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Psychotherapy.
Another of the great accomplishments of the Hospital is that it counts with it’s own Orthopedic and Footwear Workshop. The workshop is highly specialized and counts with the latest technology, and it is here where all mechanical aids and braces required by the patients are manufactured.
The Hospital also has inaugurated a Gait Analysis Laboratory, the only one in the country (and one of only two in Latin America), with the most advanced technology that allows for the diagnosis and treatment of motor and neuromuscular disorders, like cerebral palsy. This system allows patients with ambulatory difficulties to be precisely diagnosed, thus making it possible to plan for the surgical interventions and orthopedic equipment required with the best scientific support.
It also counts with 14 Dental work units with the most advanced technology and equipments, operated by 30 highly recognized professionals from the different disciplines. This allows the Hospital to provide comprehensive service through the preventive and curative programs for children, adolescents and adults.