Ministry of Health receives wheelchairs

The Rotary Club of Gaborone recently donated 24 wheelchairs to the health ministry for use by people with disabilities (PWDs).

Rotary Club is a global network of 1.4 million people across the world assisting communities in the areas of health, education, water and sanitation.

Receiving the donation, Permanent Secretary in the health ministry, Grace Muzila expressed gratitude to the Rotary Club of Gaborone for the noble gesture ,saying the aid will go a long way in having some sections of society experience some quality improvements in their daily lives. “These wheelchairs will not only enable recipients to attain mobility and independence, but will also improve their quality of life as well,” she said. Muzila said the donation came at an opportune time when ministry is in dire need of wheelchairs both for adults and children.

“Recently, there has been an overwhelming increase of people in need of mobility assistive devices, particularly wheelchairs, since the outbreak of COVID-19. Older adults have been seen to suffer consequences of long covid, which sometimes affect their mobility, leading to the need for wheelchairs”. Furthermore, she said that number of people with mobility challenges need wheelchair replacement, as she appealed to the private sector and all charitable organizations to assist.

Meanwhile, she urged anyone wishing to donate wheel chairs to liaise with the ministry for guidance on suitable wheel chairs so that the beneficiaries could enjoy the full benefits of the devises. “This is important because unsuitable wheelchairs can have detrimental consequences to the health and wellbeing of the wheelchair user.

To curb this problem, the ministry has since 2015, embarked on an exercise to train health care workers with the skills to assess and identify appropriate wheel chairs, Muzila explained.