Trans Nzoia County wheelchair users have expressed their concerns with the quality of wheelchairs donated by people of goodwill.
In an exclusive interview with Uasin Gishu News, Ann Njoki a resident of Bidii ward in Kwanza Constituency said some wheelchairs do not meet the quality standards thus bringing more harm to the users.
“Substandard wheelchairs have flooded the markets. We are asking the Ministry of health and the Kenya Bureau of Standards to ensure that all the wheelchairs donated are upto standards,” Njoki urged.
The jovial middle-aged woman joined the club of wheelchair users after she was involved in a road accident in 2011.
She called for a shift from traditional wheelchairs to modern ones that do not the support of a second party to move.
“We are living in technology age. We should also technolog. We need modern mobility devices so that we don’t have to burden other people as we move around,” she added.
When is International Day of Wheelchair marked?
The concerns comes as the world observes the International Day of Wheelchair on March 1.
Founded by Steve Wilkinson, a United Kingdom (UK) wheelchair user, the day, first observed on March 1, 2008, is used to raise awareness about the importance of wheelchairs in aiding mobility and independence for people with physical disabilities.
Meanwhile, Mary Mbone, a resident of Michai village in Cherang’any Constituency has been taking care of his 19-year old son Titus Agumba, without a wheelchair.
“He cannot do anything by himself and I have to help him do everything. For the 19 years, I have been taking him for therapy sessions, I have been looking for a wheelchair but I have never found one,” Mbone stated asking for provision of a wheelchair that fits his son.
How many people need wheelchairs in Trans Nzoia?
Bernard Masioge, a volunteer at the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Trans Nzoia office said the council is currently taking data to know the exact number of people in need of wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
“In our records we have over 20,000 people with disabilities. Above 500 of them are in need of wheelchairs and have been captured in our systems, all the people should take advantage of the ongoing data capture exercise so that they are issued with the appropriate wheelchairs,” Masioge urged.
Daniel Nandwa, the Trans Nzoia Rehabilitation Services Coordinator said their are currently preparing a policy that will guide issuance of wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
“Wheelchairs are just like any other prescribed drug. These mobility devices are oftenly abused by politicians who donate them without doing proper assessment. An incorrect wheelchair means more problems to the wheelchair user,” Nandwa stated.
Wheelchairs improve mobility and independence, enhance quality of life, prevent secondary health issues, boosts self confidence and reduces feelings of isolation. Some adaptive wheelchairs enable users to participate in some sporting activities.
2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census reported that 918,270 Kenyans aged five years and above have disabilities. Mobility impairment affects above 400,000 Kenyans. However, the current provision of wheelchairs is about 5,000 units annually way below the annual demand of 100,000 wheelchairs.
