Pace 4 Life is a British company, socially oriented [1] , engaged in the supply to the developing countries of already used pacemakers [2] . In mid-2015, device installation operations were conducted in Gann , Sudan, and India . It was founded by ethnic Indian Balasundaram Laban in London in 2013 with a grant from Google [1] .
Pace 4 life | |
---|---|
Type of | Social Enterprise |
Base | 2013 |
Location | Great Britain , London |
Key figures | Balasundaram Laban |
Industry | Healthcare |
Site | pace4life.org |
The company has an agreement with the British Independent Funeral Directors funeral agency , which coordinates with the relatives of the deceased a seizure at the opening of a pacemaker [2] . In addition to this device, it is possible to receive from hospitals and morgues [3] . Further, the pacemaker is tested and if it is deemed suitable for reuse, it undergoes sterile treatment [4] .
For reuse, only those pacemakers are selected whose battery charge is more than 70% (the full service life of the new device is 7-10 years) [5] . The company is assisted in testing devices by the University of Michigan, the University of Manchester and several other organizations. The company is assisted by a number of pacemaker manufacturers [3] .
The company works in contact with the UK Department of Health and the UK National Health Service , as well as a number of charitable medical organizations in developing countries [3] .
According to a company study in developing countries, about 2 million people with heart disease die each year from a weak level of medicine and the inaccessibility of pacemakers [4] .
In the UK, about 35,000 such devices are installed annually and, after the death of the owner, the devices are usually disposed of [4] .
The cost of the device in the UK is about 2,500 pounds ($ 4,100), the most inexpensive device on the market costs about $ 800, but this amount is not comparable even with the annual income of some residents of the world's poorest countries [4] .
At this stage of development, the enterprise does not make a profit , however, according to the business plan of the creator of the company, after setting the work to a stable level, the enterprise should become profitable [1] .
Notes
Links
- pace4life.org - official site of Pace 4 Life
- Twitter company
- Become a company member at The Independent