by Chris Agbo
Disability Rights Advocacy Center (DRAC) on Thursday introduced a 24-hour Toll free Call Center for rapid response to the complaints from persons with disabilities in the area of inability of access to SRHR services in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of the organization, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu disclosed this while making her closing remark in a three-day training of Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and WOMEN ORGANIZATIONS ON ADVOCACY FOR DISABILITY INCLUSIVE SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS SERVICES organised by DRAC and supported by Voice.
In her remarks, she said that the toll free response center become necessary at this time based on the health challenges facing persons with disabilities as a result of COVID-19 lockdown.
‘’During this COVID-19 lockdown, we received many complaints from persons with disabilities, especially women and girls ranging from violence against them, health complications, and inability to access medication and personal hygiene materials, due to lockdown and because the medical facilities have been overstretched due to the pandemic. Knowing the challenges that some of them may be facing trying to reach out for help because many of them had to get through to the organization through a third party’’.
To make it a lot easier for PWDs, DRAC decided to introduce a toll-free line to enable any persons with disabilities who need help or have some questions or clarifications on SRHR to reach out with no cost.
She urged persons with disabilities to make use of this opportunity as she promised that the complaints will be highly confidential, and privacy of users will be completely respected. She also promised to continue upgrading the system to accommodate all forms of disabilities.
‘The toll-free number is completely free for any caller, while the SMS channel is being developed for the convenience of the deaf, the whatsapp channel is available for immediate response to any SRHR queries.’’
The Response Center Toll-free number is 08000-3000-100 and the Whatsapp channel is 08000-3000-10
Call for free or send message via Whatsapp, our team will be on standby to respond to you promptly and through our allies and contacts, we will find a way to attend to your complaints, She concluded.
