Gulu PWDs' councilor roots for sign language

SERVICE DELIVERY

GULU -  The LC 5 for People living With Disability (PWDs) in Gulu district, Teddy Luwa has asked government to train health workers in special needs especially sign language in all health facility to handle PWDs.

She said many deaf and dumb people patients normally get stranded at health facility because health workers do not understand sign language to communicate with them.

She made the remarks was during district dialogue organised by Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) at Global friendship hotel in Gulu town.

FOWODE with support from the Governance Accountability Participation and Performance (GAPP) programme is implementing the Gender Accountability and Participation (GAP) project in Amuru, Gulu and Masindi districts with the aim to improve education and health service delivery especially for women and girls.

It has facilitated and improved the community's oversight function in monitoring service delivery as well as supported women, youth and PWDs councilor caucuses in the three districts.

Luwa said most of these PWDs miss treatment because health workers do not know how to diagnose them.

"Most PWDs pregnant women go through tough time to deliver as there is no delivery bed for them," she said.

Luwa said some of the expectant mothers are being carried up on those beds where they risk falling down due to labour pain.

Evelyn Piloya Gloria, LC 5 for Paicho Sub County said there is also no ramps in most public places where PWDs can access public offices.

She added that most of the schools in the district have no toilet for PWDs and in some schools where they are present, pupils who are physically okay urinate on the floor making it difficult to PWDs pupils to access.

Piloya said the district needs to buy adjustable bed to cater for PWDs expectant mother in delivery ward.

Yoweri Ibiba, the assistant district heath officer in charge of environmental health (hygiene and sanitation) said they have few adjustable beds in some health facility.

He noted that they have few adjustable bed in Awach health centre IV and health centre III in four divisions of Gulu municipality and hospital.

Quinta Apio Latigo, the special needs education officer Gulu said handling PWDs is not easy due to negative attitude of the community towards them.

She said they are trying to lobby for support from partners to address issue of special needs including girl child

 "We are facilitating platforms for citizens to actively engage their leaders on gender responsiveness service delivery for accountability leadership," said Brenda Aromorach, the Gulu district FOWODE focal person.