Mobility is still a major challenge facing people with physical disabilities in Masindi District, reveals the male district councillor for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Mr William Mwambu.
The councillor says out of the 28,000 PWDs in the district, 10,000 have physical disabilities, thus, in dire need of assistance devices to enable them move.
Mr Mwambu who is also the Masindi district chairperson of social services committee says most of these people cannot afford to buy the devices; coercing them to stay at home most of their time.
The politician who is visually impaired says the absence of assistance devices has made it hard for many PWDs to engage in gainful activities, thus, cocooning them in abject poverty.
He, therefore, appealed to government to increase funding and equip orthopaedic workshops to make assistance devices for physically disabled persons in the country.
Mr Mwambu was speaking at a ceremony during which he received a cheque of Shs3.85m from Kinyara Sugar Ltd to procure materials to make assistance devices for 25 PWDs in Masindi district.
Handing over the cheque at Masindi General Hospital, the Communications Manager Kinyara Sugar Ltd, Mr Mathias Wanoka, the donation was to enable the disadvantaged persons to engage in gainful activities so they can improve their livelihood and contribute to national development.
The money that was in response to the request Mr Mwambu submitted to the sugar company will be used to procure 15 wheel chairs, eight calipers and two artificial limbs.
The Administrator Masindi General Hospital, Mr Simon Baguma, said the donation supplements the meager funding the health facility receives for its orthopaedic workshop and department.
The figures
28,000-number of PWDs in Masindi district
10,000-number of people with physical disabilities in Masindi district
