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Uganda: Parents of the Disabled Plead for Children
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New Vision (Kampala)
17 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008
Charles Kakamwa
Kampala
Parents of children with disabilities in Jinja have asked the district authorities to recruit mental health specialists at health units.
Under the Network of Parents Support Groups, they said the absence of psychiatric clinical officers (PROs) at health centres had made it difficult for children with disabilities to access treatment.
"Only Jinja Hospital has a psychiatric unit but with a few PROs," Mikaya Tenyhwa, the association's chairperson said last week.
"Although lack of medicine in hospitals and health centres is a general problem, the situation is worse for the disabled children who normally need special attention."
Tenyhwa made the remarks while handing over 15 bicycles, worth sh1.8m, to the association's sub-county coordinators.
He observed that children with disabilities always wait for out-reach clinics, which are organised once a month at health centres.
However, he noted that such clinics were not available in Kakira, Buwenge and Butagaya sub-counties.
"Children with hearing impairments are taken to Walukuba West Primary School, which has no boarding facilities and lacks hearing aids for those with mild or moderate hearing loss. There is also no unit for mental health-related issues."
Tenyhwa asked the Government to construct a vocational training institution for children with disabilities such that they acquire self-sustaining skills.
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Jinja west MP Harry Kasigwa praised the parents for starting the association, whose main objective is to create awareness on disability and mobilise facilities for the well-being of children with disabilities.
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