As a way to ameliorate the suffering of disabled persons in FCT in respect with accessing medical care, an NGO, Poverty and Disability Initiative in Nigeria, PADIN has launched a virtual medical facility for main purpose of making medical care easily accessible to them.
PADIN program director/head of women commission, Okafor Christina Obinna who spoke with correspondent during a two day medical outreach and the launch of the virtual clinic at the disabled colony located at Karonmajigi, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory noted that the idea was borne out of the fact that the disabled persons in the colony find it difficult accessing proper medical care when they are sick.
Speaking further she said, “Overtime we have studied and we have discovered the limitations that people with disability have especially in area of accessing healthcare. And for many years now we have been working in particular with these people of Karonmajigi.
“They have known us for about five years now, we have been coming to them with some form of healthcare and also we come here to distribute food items. Last year we were here to distribute crutches to a few of them, and also we have come here with wheelchairs and several other means of assistance to these people.
“But then we discovered that assessing healthcare is a problem, and so we came up with the pet project, Telemedicine. We partnered with Resolution Projects, New York.
“They are the one that sponsored most of it to bring Telemedicine whereby these people can communicate with their doctor, with their medical personnel in the privacy of their communities. It’s just a phone call away and they have a presence with their doctor.
“We also partnered with SOTERIA -AFRIQUE RURAL HEALTHCARE INITIATIVE NIGERIA. Their team of doctors led by Dr. Dah Talemoh Wycliffe performed free surgeries, gave out free consultations and also gave out drugs for free.
“The organization also plans to build a hospital in the community where all of these services that were rendered to the community during the two days of Medical Outreach will continue to be delivered to the people for free.
“That’s the whole idea of Telemedicine. And the whole package comes with a laptop, a mobile phone, a first-aid kit, with the BP monitor. They have a BP monitor and a voice monitor.
“So, for weeks we have been coming here training them because they are the people to take over. We train them and now they are almost perfect in it.
“By the time we are done here we intend moving to Kunchigoro, and to other disability colonies to establish the Telemedicine. So this gives them easy access to medical care,” she said.
Also speaking, PADIN country Director, Engr. Paul Maduabuchi Ogbonna maintained that they have tried to put away any impediment that may hinder them from adequately making use of the virtual equipment.
“We are bringing the Telemedicine into the community and we are training the disabled people, they are the ones that’ll be handling the Telemedicine. So, it’s not like we are bringing it here and we are taking it out.
“Basically they will be communicating with their people and pass the necessary information to them in the language they understand. The ones we have picked to train can speak English, so, handling the material would not be a big issue for them.
“The items that she mentioned would all be domiciled here with them to work with, so that any patient that is sick can easily meet with any of this trained persons, communicate with them and our doctors are over there that is going to consult and tell them the issues,” he noted
Aside from the launching of the Telemedicine project, PADIN also carried out a two day free medical outreach and several beneficiaries of the two day medical outreach had nothing but praises and prayers for PADIN.
Several of them took turn to speak with our correspondent and first to speak was Ibrahim Sagir who is the PRO of the disabled community
“I won’t be able to mention how happy I am because the entire community is happy. Since we have been residing in this place more than twenty years ago, we have not had an outreach like this particular one.
“We are really overjoyed for this kind gesture. It has not been easy for us, especially under this current situation it is not easy to even have money to buy drugs. Today, they are treating us free of charge without collecting a single dime. We are more than happy about this.
PADIN is not new to us. They have done so much for us. They have been trying and they have even tried more today. I pray that whatever they have spent to put this project together may God multiply it for them.
“I will appeal to them that as they continue to touch our lives they should please consider our women with disabilities the most. I am praying for them to give wheelchairs to our ladies because most of them find it hard to move around because of the kind of environment we reside,” Sagir said.
For John Esiegbu he explained how grateful he was for the opportunity to be among the beneficiary, “I really want to appreciate God, I want to appreciate the Federal Government and I also want to appreciate Ordinary Ahmed, because I just listened to his program on Humans Rights radio station when this thing was mentioned.
“And I said let me rush down here to see how the thing is going to work and by the grace of God I have undergone the surgery successfully, and I believe I am ok by now. And I want to say that may the Almighty God bless and protect their work,” he said.
As for Philip David who was operated on also, he said, “I really appreciate this organization because I did not expect this I really appreciate it. Before I came here I had gone to another hospital and I have already been booked for the surgery but as I heard this I decided to come here and to God be the glory I have done my surgery,” he stated.
For Israel Olatunji, he said, “I have had this injury since and the thing has been bothering me. And I came to this place when we heard about the program and thank God they did it for me. I am using this opportunity to thank the people that organized the program.
“Before I came to this place I had gone to a hospital where my father paid a lot of money, and it was treated but the thing returned. Now we came here and the thing was done free of charge. I want to say a very big thank you to them.
The two day medical outreach witnessed the presence of several dignitaries from the social development department of the Federal Capital Territory, Federal Ministry of health, the emir of the colony and several other dignitaries.
Among those also present was the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for persons with disabilities, (NCPWD), Dr. James David Lalu.
While applauding PADIN for the program, Dr David Lalu noted that NCOWD remains dedicated to supporting the disability community through various initiatives and partnerships aimed at enhancing the quality of life for persons with disabilities.
“We are committed to providing access to quality healthcare services for persons with disabilities. Beyond this initiative, we are working towards establishing a local clinic within the community to ensure continuous healthcare access.
“We are identifying a suitable building for this purpose, and we are dedicated to making sure no one here suffers from preventable diseases such as typhoid,” he said.
