By Roundoffnews.
Ekiti State government has been advised to equip all hospitals in the state with necessary facilities that can make them accessible to people living with disabilities.
This is part of resolutions reached at the end of a one day programme on Awareness on Disability Issues and Accessibility of Health Care Services by People with Disabilities in Ekiti state organized by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities and supported by Disability Rights Fund.
The contributions of participants at the programme as well as the report of a survey by the Centre For Citizens with Disabilities confirmed that most of the government hospitals were designed without consideration to the challenges of Persons living with Disabilities.Also Trending on Roundoffnews..
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This according to them is contrary to the Rights to Health as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Right of persons with Disabilities in which Nigeria is a signatory
The report of the CCD shows that hospitals in the state lacked Ramp which could enable patient on wheel chair gets to clinics without stress, as well as signed interpreters or devices which could ensure effective communication between health officials and patients who were having one challenge or the other.
In addition the CCD report affirmed the fact that most of the health officials were not properly trained on how to handle cases of persons with Disabilities while there are no personnel and facilities to handle some diseases such as skin cancer which is applicable to albinos.
In there separate comments at the programme, the participants explained that the non availability of relevant facilities in the hospitals had denied them access to qualitative health care services hence the need for government to address the situation.
In an interview, the Senior Programme Officer of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities Mr Kola Ogubiyi explained that the present government of Ekiti state had shown improved attention to the issue of persons with Disabilities but a lot still needed to be done to meet up with required standard.
Mr Ogubiyi appealed to government to look into the recommendations of the Centre and implement them towards ensuring better life for the PWDs.
In his contribution, the Ekiti State Secretary for the Joint National Association of People With Disabilities, (JONAPWD), Mr Funso Olajide had appealed to Ekiti Gov., Dr Kayode Fayemi to subsidize the health bills of persons with disabilities.
He called for a change in the current charity model to the human right model in the handling of issues concerning PWDs.
Mr Olajide noted that health care services by PWDs was beyond seeing a doctor in hospitals, adding that such services must be accessed without any barrier.
Earlier in his message of goodwill, the Ekiti Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Value Orientation, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua restated the commitment of the present administration to improving the wellbeing of PWDs in the state.
“I can assure that government has a lot of regards for special persons and will do everything possible to better their lots.
” On the issue of withdrawal of health personnels at the special schools, I can assure you that government will do something in no distant time to resolve it,” Olumilua said.
In a remark, the Special Adviser to Ekiti Governor on Sustainable Development Goals,(SDG), Mr Abimbola Solanke assured the PWDs of access to health care services in the state in line with the SDG’s Goal 3.
The programme was attended by all clusters of the PWDs in the Ekiti(Roundoffnews)
