Lives of persons living with disabilities will be improved – Health Minister

 -as National Week of Persons living with Disabilities launched

Persons living with disabilities can be assured of their lives being improved as the government is working assiduously to provide and expand services for this vulnerable group.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony made the disclosure at the launch of National Week of Persons with Disabilities and the Bumper Sticker Drive at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, on Monday.

The National Week of Persons living with Disabilities is being observed under the theme, ‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development, the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world.’

“Regardless of the circumstances, what we need to build is services that are available to everyone who needs these services… and that’s the commitment from the Ministry of Health and that’s the commitment from the Government of Guyana because we want everybody to ensure that whatever their needs are that we’ll be able to deliver on those needs,” Dr Anthony stated. The minister noted that the ministries of Health and Human Services and Social Security have collaborated to provide training, as well as to create more accessible services for this vulnerable group.

Club foot training was conducted to ensure this disorder is diagnosed at an early stage, making it easier to correct. Also, close to 500 hearing aids were distributed to persons with hearing impairment.

In addition, over 55 persons received joint replacement procedures as the ministry collaborated with Operation Walk to have these procedures conducted. These and a number of initiatives were implemented to improve the lives of persons living with disabilities.

Dr Anthony also shortly, persons who require prosthetics will no longer have to pay.

“This is something that we have been working on because we recognise that it is a burden for people to pay $400,000, $300,000 for a prosthetic limb and we really want to work to make sure that this would be free of cost. Over the next several months, you will see us working diligently and if we can’t make it to zero, certainly we would drop the cost,” the minister disclosed. Meanwhile, Chairperson (ag) of the National Commission on Disability Vidusi Persaud-Mc Kinnon said citizens must recognise that all disabilities are not visible and urged members of the public to utilise the bumper stickers to bring awareness on these issues.

Mc Kinnon stated, “Let’s use these bumper stickers to show support for persons with disabilities and let’s use them to let persons know the importantinformation…Let’s use these bumperstickers to protect the rights of persons living with disabilities.”

Purple balloons were also released at the event in recognition of persons living with disabilities.