Some Persons With Disabilities in Maiduguri, Borno, have lauded the International Committee of the Red Cross for opening a physical rehabilitation centre in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the centre opened on November 19 by the ICRC is expected to serve more than 2,000 people in need of prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, crutches and mobility devices by 2022.
A beneficiary of prosthetic leg from the centre, Hanatu Solomon told NAN that the development was a big relief because hitherto she had to travel to Kano three times for the services.
Solomon, who is also a student of University of Maiduguri, said that she was born with deformity and her leg was amputated.
She said the durability of prosthetic leg was two years and she had to travel to Kano for renewal but with a centre now in Maiduguri, she would no longer go that far.
Solomon lauded ICRC, which she said supported her with the free limb which currently cost about N400,000 in the market.
Another beneficiary, Abba Ashigar, who is a 300 level mathematics student of University of Maiduguri, said he lost his leg during a bomb blast in a mosque in Maiduguri.
Ashigar, who expressed appreciation to the donor, said “with the help of ICRC I got this fabricated one in Kano.”
“People with limb problem, particularly victims of insurgency and other calamities or incidents in Borno and nearby states can now get succour from the centre in Maiduguri.”
Ibrahim Musa, Philibus Danjuma, Tijjani Khalifa and Mary Baba, who spoke separately on the development, said though they were able bodied, they were happy with the setting up of the centre in Maiduguri.
They said they would advise anyone, particularly friends and relatives with disabilities to patronise the centre for free limbs.
According to ICRC report, the centre is financed through the innovative funding mechanism called ”The Humanitarian Impact Bond” created to encourage social investment from the private sector to support the ICRC’s health programmes.
