KATAKWI:
PWDs in Katakwi District face hardships in accessing health services, Education among other however,the district has got enormous challenges on service delivery most specially to people with disabilities.
Female PWDs gathered at Katakwi district headquarters to voice in their demands.
This has made the marginalized community in the district to feel being left out in most of the services most especially government programs such as health, education among others.
According to the chairperson Katakwi National Union of Women with Disabilities Uganda, Rose Ajulong on Tuesday evening told this website that, there are over 1000 women with disabilities in Katakwi who cannot access medical services.
Ajulong added that, under her umbrella of KaNUWODU, she has two hundred registered members who are all women with disabilities.
“Most of these women are marginalized and are believed to be failures in their families causing them to live with stigma in most of their days”, Ajulong explained.
Meanwhile, Sarah Agiro, coordinator of the Gender Based Violence shelter in Katakwi district said, women with disabilities always face the worse cases of GBV like; rape, defilement, denial of inheritance, lack of access to government services among others.
“Most of them do not know men who get pregnant causing them to be abused in the community, that’s why we as action aid opened the GBV shelter which helps them during their hard times”, Agiro added.
The most challenge the PWDs face is that, there is difficulty in reporting these cases, giving them a chance to create awareness of their rights to the PWDs in Katakwi district.
Deborah Asele however, a clinician in Katakwi General Hospital siad that, the PWDs face challenges in accessing health care most especially the deaf, crippled, because they cannot talk neither hear which causes language barrier letting the prescription of medication unproper causing.
She added that, those who cannot walk find themselves reach the health facility late as they are trying to seek for medical attention from health workers.
Asele, therefore tasked government to recruit medical experts who know sign language so that to ease access to health services by all Ugandans.
What PWDs say.
Christine Acen and Hellen Beatrice Amuge disabled from Usuk sub county in Katakwi district noted that all their land was taken because she was identified as disabled in the clan leading to land grabbing.
Acen pleaded with government agencies most especially police to take up cases of PWds whenever they are filed since most of them are neglected whenever cases are filed.
Christine Atido from Magoro also noted her concern that they are left to access medical services like other people most especially while giving birth, PWD women can’t climb the labor suit bed causing them to give birth on a bare ground even at the health center’s this is because midwives cannot carry expectant PWD mother to the bed.
She calls upon government to send beds for PWDs expectant mothers to all health facilities in their district.
What Experts say.
Sarah Agiro of action aid international said, they have started the awareness of rights of PWDs in the whole district which she says as an advocate, they are going to do coordination meetings at the district so as this can be implemented.
“This will give access to the PWDs to report GBV cases against them to authorities”, Agiro said.
She tasked PWDs and their guardians to start reporting cases of GBV on their referral path from police, action aid shelter, religious leaders among others so that they can follow-up.
Agiro advised people to defend rights of PWDs because they are enforced by the constitution.
However, Deborah Asele, clinician challenged government to always take PWDs as apriority since they are left with no option to survival since most of them can’t walk, talk, hear, and others don’t see and most of them have never accessed formal education.
LCV Katakwi district, Geofrey Omolo said, as a district, services re delivered to all people equally except those who are in villages that cant be accessed by either health workers and others.
Omolo added that, with current government programs, like PDM, Emyooga, Women entrepreneurship among others, the district only approves those groups and SACCOs with PWDs inclusive.
However, the chief Administrative Officer Katakwi district, Patrick Olila told media that, they have plans to recruit special need teachers, this is meant to bridge the gap if only the sealing is opened by the ministry of public service.