JONAPWD Urges Improved Healthcare Access for Persons with Disabilities in Kano
By Mustapha Salisu
The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Kano State Chapter, has called on relevant authorities to take urgent steps towards improving accessibility to healthcare facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the state.
This appeal was made by the Chairman of JONAPWD in Kano, Engr. Musa Muhammad Shaga, during an interactive session on Tuesday with PRIME TIME NEWS correspondent, Mustapha Salisu.
According to Engr. Shaga, most healthcare facilities across the state—from primary to tertiary levels—lack essential equipment and infrastructure to adequately serve the needs of PWDs. These include wheelchairs, specialized hospital beds, and accessible entry points, among others.
“Even the point where hospital cards are issued is not accessible to us,” he said. “For instance, the counters are often too high for physically challenged persons to reach.”
He further lamented the inadequate training of healthcare personnel in handling patients with disabilities. “Health workers often lack the proper orientation, and their approach and communication can be so harsh that some of us would rather return home with our illness than remain at the hospital,” he added.
Engr. Shaga noted that although there are existing policies that clearly outline the rights of PWDs in all sectors, including health, the absence of an enforcement body has rendered these policies ineffective.
“That’s why we are calling for the establishment of the Kano State Commission for Persons with Disabilities to ensure proper implementation and monitoring of these policies,” he emphasized.
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the Association, Aminu Ahmad Tudunwada, echoed the call for stronger government support. He specifically urged the restoration of a previous policy that provided comprehensive health insurance for civil servants with disabilities—including coverage for their spouses and up to four children.
“Unfortunately, the policy was withdrawn. Currently, once a child reaches 18 or 20 years of age, they are no longer covered. We are requesting that this policy be restored to remain in effect until the civil servant retires or passes away,” he said.
PRIME TIME NEWS correspondent Mustapha Salisu reports that JONAPWD is a national body with branches in all 36 states of the federation, including the FCT. The organization supports its members across various sectors. One of its notable achievements in Kano State was the implementation of an educational policy under former Governor Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, which granted free education for children of PWDs from primary to tertiary levels in government schools. Many beneficiaries of the policy have since graduated and secured gainful employment across the country.
In addition, the association empowers its members through vocational training programs, enabling them to produce mobility aids such as custom-made bicycles locally, rather than relying on imports. They also manufacture school playground equipment such as merry-go-rounds and other recreational facilities for use in schools.
Some of their manufactured products are:
