Gombe government to train health care personnel on handling PWD

The Gombe State Ministry of Health says it will train caregivers on how to ensure that Persons With Disabilities (PWD), have access health care services without fear of stigmatisation.

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Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Mr Mohammed Jalo, stated this on Wednesday in Gombe, when he received the Executive Director of SAIF Advocacy Foundation, an NGO, Malam Alhassan Yaya.

“We would identify some facilities that are caregivers, to be trained on how to care for PWD.

“We will also identify some focal persons, who will be saddled with the responsibility of writing reports on their needs and concerns, then proffer solutions to them.”

Jalo also assured the foundation of the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with them as well as work on their recommendations.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ms Sa’adatu Ishaya, said the ministry would ensure PWD were sensitised to the need for them to visit health facilities without fear of stigmatisation.

“Women Affairs has been supporting disability programmes, there is bill for more support at the assembly.

“We also commend the SAIF for the concern for PWD,” Ishaya added.

Earlier, the executive director of SAIF Advocacy Foundation, had said that the aim of the advocacy visit was to seek the support of the two ministries, in providing access to health care services for PWD.

He said the organisation had noticed that PWD did not have access to good healthcare services.

“Hence, the need for the project, which is funded and supported by IPAS Nigeria, to find out what the barriers to access to healthcare services were,” Yaya said.

According to him, a lot of issues were raised regarding the stigma going on within the hospitals against PWD, especially from medical personnel.

“The advocacy is to ensure that desk officers are assigned to each healthcare facility, provide ease for any person with disability coming to access health services, and provide training for health workers, especially those who have contact with PWD,” the Executive Director explained.