By Hembadoon Orsar
No fewer than 228 amputees in Benue State have received free artificial limbs from a non-governmental organisation, Ishk Tolaram Foundation.
The head of Department Ishk Limb Centre, Mr Bidlan Jaiprakash, who disclosed this during the presentation of the artificial limbs to the beneficiaries, said over 17,000 amputees have been assisted by the foundation since its inception in 2009.
He said the centre is currently working in Benue in collaboration with the state government, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other NGOs to donate limbs to amputees, without paying a dime, adding that the programme will be on for the next two years.
According to him the organisation has established 67 camps across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT and the programme is going to be on in the next two years so that amputees that make themselves available will be given the limbs.
“We have been working in Nigeria since 2009 across all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to provide limbs for amputees free of charge especially those who cannot travel to our head offices in Lagos and Port- Harcourt so as to ease their plight,” he said.
The national president of the Centre for Advocacy for Persons With Disabilities, Mrs Ellen Thompson lamented the psychological trauma most of the amputees go through because most of them are being neglected by their families, friends and communities, adding that with the donation of the artificial limbs to them, they will be integrated into the society to fend for themselves instead of begging for alms on the streets.