Disabled women face stringent challenges assessing servies at public institutions

04/02/16 Disabled challenges in accessing Healthcare Getting access to healthcare has remained a problem for many people in Nigeria for a long time now. This is more so for Nigerians living with one form of disability or the other, especially women. In this special report, Correspondent Martina Ogbonna examines the challenges which women living with disability encounter in accessing healthcare in public institutions. Cue in: Cue out: Duration: BODY CUE VOX POP

You just heard the voices of some women living with disability, sharing their experiences in the course of accessing healthcare in public facilities in Lagos. There is no doubt that the kind of healthcare service one receives in the country depends largely on the person’s social status, financial capability or the connection one has in the specific hospital. It can then be easily imagined what it is like for women living with disability, such as those on wheel chairs, the blind, the amputees, the deaf and dumb, who may not find interpreters to explain their problems to the hospital personnel. Nigeria women living with disability face the same health issues as other women but they have less access to healthcare due to environmental, attitudinal and cultural barriers. Many of them are forced to cope with inadequate health services because they cannot stand before scanners, or climb onto high tables or wrench their legs to stirrup, thereby becoming less likely to have mammograms and regular pap tests. The high level of impatience which health workers, especially those in public facilities, show to patients tends to be more pronounced when the patient is a woman living with disability. The following narration by concerned physically challenged women tends to buttress the fact that they are generally treated with disdain in public facilities. Cue in: Cue out: A human rights activist who is passionate about issues that concern the physically challenged in the country, Mrs. Emmanuella Akiola, wants the contempt which some medical personnel show towards them to be promptly addressed by the groups which regulate the operations of health workers. Cue in: Cue out: A representative of the Association of Deaf Women, Mrs. Adedoyin Alase, popularly called “Mama Deaf” who narrated her experience, also suggested steps the government could take to make access to healthcare easier for members of her group. Cue in: Cue out:
Dr. Adeyeye Ariagbabowo, a …………………, (qualify him) decried the attitude of some health practitioners towards the disabled and advised that the victims should report such situations to the state service charter or regulating professionals. Cue in: Cue out: The aim of the National Health Act, which is to provide adequate healthcare delivery for all citizens and which is in line with the government’s change mantra , would remain a mirage as long as those who are living with disability, especially women, are shunned by the personnel in public health facilities across the country. #high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria#disabled women challenges in Lagos Nigeria# pain of of living with physical disability#

14/01/16 Disabled challenges in accessing Healthcare Access to healthcare has remained a problem to a lot of people in the country for a long time now . The situation has remained a daunting challenged not only to abled –bodied Nigerians but also to those living with disability especially women. In this special report correspondent Martina Ogbonna x-ray the challenges women with disability encounters in accessing health care in public healthcare centers. Cue in Cue out

That was the voices of some women living with disability sharing on their experiences on what they encountered in the course of accessing healthcare in the health facilities in Lagos. The case of these women are few out of many challenges women who live with disability across the country go through in a bit to access healthcare. Every individual at one point or the other, experience one form of health challenge which requires them to seek medical care . According to some Nigerians, the kind of health care service one receives in the country depends largely on such a person social status, financial capability or ones connection in the hospital. If this is\ true , then is better imagined than to experience what it is like for some women who are living with disability such as those on wheel chairs , the blind women, the amputees, the deaf and dumb who may not find an interpreter to explain to some health personnel about their health issue. World Health Organization estimates that 26.5million Nigerians are living with disability, approximately thirteen million of them are women and girls. Nigeria women living with disability worry about the same health issues as other women but have less access to health-care due to environmental , attitudinal and information barriers. Many of them are forced to cope with inadequate health services, for instance ,many physically disabled women cannot access standard diagnostic equipment, some cannot stand before scanners, others cannot climb onto high tables or wrench their legs to stirrup. Consequently, they are less likely to have mammograms and regular pap test. No doubt, a pregnant woman who is physically challenged is not less a human to another abled bodied women who are also pregnant. It is no longer a hidden fact that some practitioners are impatient with their clients especially in most public health facilities, it is a common sight to see in maternity wards of some hospitals where a health personnel screams at a woman who is undergoing labour pain with unkind phrases. These health personnel sometimes react more when the woman in question is living with a disability. The question begging for an answer here is Why are some physically challenged women treated with disdain by some health personnel when they visit some public health facilities? Some others who had fallen victim narrate their different experiences. Cue in A Human Rights Advocate who is passionate about issues that concerns the physically challenged in the country , Mrs Emmanuella Akiola say not only that women with disability cannot access the infrastructure at public health facilities but the unruly attitude of some medical personnel towards them is something that must be given attention by bodies regulating the operations of these health personnel . Cue in Cue out

Speaking on behalf of their member, Association of Deaf women ,Mrs Adedoyin beyioku Alase, popularly called “Mama Deaf” who narrated her experience also suggested on what government can do to make access to healthcare easier for their members. Cue in Cue out
Although, Dr Segun Ariagbabowo decried such attitude coming from a trained health practitioner ,noting that is unethical but adviced that the victims should report such situation to the state service charter or professional in charge to handle the matter. Cue in It is however true that the National Health Act provides compulsory provision of healthcare services for all citizens of Nigeria including non-citizens who live in the country, to enjoy good health services, affordable and in an equitable manner, but as long as citizens who are living with disability especially women are still not well treated by personnel in public health facilities across the country, the Act would remain a paper policy that cannot be put into action through a disability eyes. These group citizens therefore said , they be happier if the change mantra of the present administration would extend it to issues that concerns their health into it most important list. ### #high mortality rate inNigeria#challengesof women living with