Rotary Club Donates Artificial Limbs In Lagos

 
On May 7, relief came the way of Persons Living with Disability (PWDs) in Lagos State when Rotary club lived up to its billing by donating artificial limb to them at Mushin General Hospital.

The purpose of the partnership was to increase public awareness about the Rotary-Jaipur Limb Centre at the hospital.
The even was occasioned by Lagos State Office for disability affairs (LASODA) which collaborates with Rotary International (District 9110) Nigeria that donated free artificial lower limbs to the PWDs.
The Lagos State Special People’s bill was signed into law in 2011 by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.  Hence LASODA was subsequently established to implement the said law, with a seven-man Governing Board. The law is to protect PWDs against all forms of discrimination and equalize their opportunities in the society and for connected purpose.
According to the Chairman of the limb centre, Dr Tayo Lawal, the centre was set up and donated to the said hospital about five years ago to provide artificial limbs at a reasonable cost to members of the public who had one or both lower limbs amputated as a result of accident or disease. The limbs are highly subsidized, but unfortunately, the centre has over the years been under-utilised. Hence, a public awareness campaign, offering free limbs to the first 50 people resulted in an increase of number of patients that visited the centre and the offer is still open.
Rotary International (District 9110) Nigeria has embarked on many projects that impact the lives of PWDs. Examples of such projects include over 10,000 cataract eye surgeries in the past 20 years, limb deformity surgeries, the donation of at least 50 free wheelchairs per annum in the last ten years, gift of hand project for upper limb amputees in Lagos and Cotonou, economic empowerment through a micro credit scheme at the YCM centre, Amuwo Odofin, distribution of gift items to PWDs at Oko Oba community resettlement centre and of course the establishment of Rotary-Jaipur Artificial limb centre in Lagos and at the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta in Ogun State.
The Chairman, LASODA Governing Board, Mrs Tolu Animashaun, advised Nigerians to join hands with LASODA to ensure that our differently-able brothers and sisters do not get left out of any aspect of our communal life. The Chairman said that it is a crime to discriminate against PWDs because they have right to mingle with other members of the community, they are entitled to be educated, nurtured and cared for in sickness and in health.
They have a right to gain a living by working and also entitled to freedom of communication. She urged all concerned individuals, NGOs and corporate organizations to make public buildings accessible by providing ramps, elevators etc and  to refrain from regarding PWDs as objects of charity only and seek out ways of encouraging independent living as far as possible.
In the same vein, the General Manager of LASODA, Dr Awelenje Babatunde, reiterated that disability is part of human condition and anybody is vulnerable and that disability is not inability. According to him, presentation of free artificial lower limbs to PWDs in Lagos upholds the social model of disability by bending towards the rehabilitative techniques which is one of the objectives behind the creation of LASODA. He urged the recipients to be good advocates in the community by acting as worthy ambassadors and to put their disability at their back and forge ahead with life.
By Ajibola Abayomi