By Sam Kayode
In response to increased demands for easy movement by physically challenged residents in Borno state, the international committee of the red cross (ICRC) will soon commission a centre for the assembly of varieties of wheel chairs for their needs.
The centre which is located at the pompomari bypass axis of the Maiduguri metropolis will be commissioned before the end of December 2025.
This was made known today by the head of the physical rehabilitation centre of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) Surajo Jabo during the celebration of the international day of persons with disabilities under the theme “Fostering Disability -inclusive societies for advancing social progress.”
He urged residents to remember that inclusivity is the very foundation of sustainable development, social cohesion and human dignity for all which is why his organization has eight out of 24 staff who are physically challenged as a matter of policy.
Surajo noted that the centre will be able to employ as much as 1000 challenged and non challenged people when commissioned before the end of the year.
He revealed that about 3500 people have benefitted in terms of Prosthetic limbs in the centre from November 2020 when they started production of limbs till date.
The coordinator stated that at least 300 requests are on the table waiting for their own share while the demand has increased from 25 to 30 cases monthly.
Serajo posited that about 12 cases of military personnel have also been fixed and still counting even as the insurgency war rages on.
On challenges, he told this reporter that due to the high demands for the artificial limbs, there has been an increased need for more support which is why they have extended their partnership with a lot of non governmental organizations to keep the good work going on.
Supporting his claim, Dr Babagana Waziri who is the founder for the centre for inclusion, support and advocacy for disables said that he has also been supporting challenged people in the area of health care, social inclusion, well being, and humanitarian partnership.
He added that its time the government recognized the needs of challenged people because they will always have special needs which society cannot turn away from.
The UMTH has been the major prosthetic support centre for the entire north east region of Nigeria taking care of both military and civil residents in the 16 year old insurgent war.
