Federal Teaching Hospital Assures Of Better Services For Gombe PWDs

The Medical Director, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Gombe State, Dr. Yusuf Mohammed Abdullahi has assured Persons with Disabilities of the Teaching Hospital’s readiness to implement all provisions in the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and ensure its domestication.

The health expert made this known when he hosted members of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Gombe State chapter in his office on Tuesday, 9th November, 2021.

Abdullahi who lauded JONAPWD for the timely visit also appreciated their congratulations on his appointment. He admitted to feeling the pains PWDs are going through. I usually feel uncomfortable each time I see a Person With Disability being neglected by those who by training and profession should instinctively cater to their welfare.

According to the doctor, the hospital has no issues with the various clusters of Persons with Disabilities patronizing the hospital. However, he admits that with the Deaf, there is a big challenge owing to communication gap.

Dr Yusuf who showed considerable discernment handling PWDs issues, directed the JONAPWD Chairman to submit names and details of two (2) sign language interpreters for employment in his office. He says the hospital management will employ them by the end of November. This will resolve the lingering problem of communication gap between the Deaf community and the Federal Teaching Hospital staff.

The JONAPWD team was also tasked to promptly submit a list of PWDs with their qualifications to the hospital. Dr. Yusuf promised, as long as he remains in office, to push for the employment of PWDs in their different capacities in the various sections of the Federal Teaching Hospital.

Earlier, in a brief speech, JONAPWD Chairman, Alh. Umaru Ali Goro Mona, had congratulated Dr. Yusuf on his appointment as Medical Director of the teaching hospital. He also sympathized with the hospital management over the shocking death of the former Medical Director.

Mona, who revealed that the visit was largely influenced by JONAPWD’s desire to embark on massive awareness campaign to various public offices round the State in order to bring to fore the sorrowful plights of PWDs in Gombe State and seek critical redress brimmed with zeal for the cause of PWDs.

He was accompanied by leaders of the various disability clusters who decried how PWDs in Gombe State are severely affected by poverty. The situation, they said call for intervention from all quarters, including the Federal Teaching Hospital management.

According to Mona, it is high time the hospital management tow same path as the Federal Government whose good interventional policies have been making life better for PWDs.

He noted that the FG’s passage of the National Disability Act, 2018, which makes it mandatory for all public health institutions across the country to make public buildings disability friendly and accessible for PWDs, the reservation of 5℅ recruitment slots for PWDs, and, to top it up, the prohibition of all forms of discrimination whatsoever against Persons with Disabilities in the country are exemplary.

Reacting to the kind-hearted gesture demonstrated to the Deaf community by the Medical Director, Secretary General of Gombe State Association of the Deaf (GOMSAD), Mr Yusuf Mohammed Lawan, praised the Medical Director for identifying with the Deaf community of Gombe State. He reasoned that such gesture exemplified will go a long way in improving the health condition of the Deaf in Gombe and other neighboring States in the North East.

According to him, “many lives would be saved by employing sign language interpreters who can make communication more easy between Deaf patients and Health workers”.

The JONAPWD entourage, Inclusive News Network, INN, learnt included Chairman, National Blind Association, Gombe State chapter, Mallam Gambo Ahmad, Chairman, Physically challenged Association, Gombe State chapter, Bala Zannah Kwali, Secretary General, Gombe State Association of the Deaf (GOMSAD) Yusuf Mohammed Lawan, JONAPWD Women Leader, Binta Idi, among others.