A Non Governmental Organization(NGO), Heal Disability Initiative, says 90 percent of women with disabilities lacked access to Maternal, Newborn and Child Health care (MNCH) services in Bauchi state.
The Founder of the NGO, Mr Maina Ayuba, who stated this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi, attributed the data to a recent, yet to be published, survey on reproductive health among physically challenged women and girls in the state.
Ayuba said that the women neither attended antenatal clinics, routine immunizations, family planning nor hospital delivery, explaining that this should be of concern in the bid to save the lives of mothers and babies.
“90 percent of the women, with one or multiple forms of disabilities, do not access to healthcare services on MNCH. This is because the facilities have no provision for people with disabilities.
“They might go for services early, but will be the last to leave the facility because even if it is their turn to see a doctor nobody cared to inform them.
“So, they have to deny their children education by making them their guides, to lead them at all times as they feel neglected”, he said.
He added that the survey had also revealed the lack of interpreters or sign language staff in health facilities, making them feel rejected and they resort to patronising patent chemists or pharmacies for services.
“Their babies have also not been accessing immunization as gathered during the survey,” he said.
Ayuba, therefore, called on the Bauchi state Government to introduce desk officers to cater for women with special needs and engage sign language interpreters in health facilities. (NAN)
