People with disabilities especially women and young girls have demanded for disability-friendly healthcare services in all health facilities.
They said they continue to face a myriad of challenges which has been a setback to a majority of them as they seek medical care.
Speaking in Mombasa during a one-day policy sensitization meeting on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, they called for the training of doctors and other medical officers to better handle people with disability.
The meeting was organized by Disability Trust organization, an NGO that has been advocating for sexual health reproductive rights for women and young girls living with disability in partnership with the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
“We continue to face challenges because when it comes to people living with disability, many a times people only focus on the visible physical disability that is why much focus has been put on accessibility of buildings.” Stella Wangila posed.
Adding “But what of the visually impaired who can’t read and fill documents? What of those with hearing and speaking impairments, do we have sign language interpreters for them?”
Wangila, a resident of Mikindani said that as a person living with disability, they are in most cases forced to share private details with third parties in order to help doctors and medical officers better serve them.
“Some issues are private and we have to write things to get directions which is very undermining. It is my hope that what we have discussed here will not just be talks, we want our discussions be implemented so that we can help our PWDs access healthcare services,” she said.
This she said has affected the patient-doctor confidentiality and such of them shy away from seeking medical services for fear of people getting to hear about their medical conditions and challenges.
Her sentiments were echoed by Sharifa Athman from Mvita constituency who said that it is important for health care givers to learn how to offer services to women and young girls living with disability.
Athman, who lives with albinism, said that it is important also for medical officers to learn sign language interpretation to better diagnose and understand the challenges they face.
“We don’t have desks for people living with disabilities in our hospitals. We need to be given first priority whenever we visit a health facility, however, we are forced to queue in line like the rest of the people,” said Athman.
She added that even the beds in hospitals pose a challenge to people with short stature something she said should be reloked.
“We are also unable to make decisions on our own, in most cases we are unable to give birth normally as some doctors judge us from the way we appear and conclude for us to undergo caesarian section. Some have even put us in family planning methods without our consent,” Athman said.
Aziza Mohammed, a healthcare officer from the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital underscored the importance of healthcare givers to learn sign language interpretation so that they can better serve patients living with disabilities.
She stated that such forums provide them with the opportunity to learn the challenges PWDs face in accessing healthcare services and also hear their recommendations as she lauded the organization for the instrumental work they have been doing over the years.
“This program is very important because we are able to get links and break barriers between us health providers and the PWD patients. We are now able to support them and offer them better services.
“We are also able to get the challenges they face and see how we can improve to better our service delivery,” said Mohammed.
Florence Hare, an official from the Disability Trust organization said that as an organization, they strive to bridge the gap between people living with disabilities and medical care givers.
"We have experienced cases where an expectant mother who is living with disability gets mistreated when they visit the maternity, the health officers treat her as if she is not supposed to get pregnant yet she is a Woman who wants to have a child." said Hare
She said that the organization has focused on empowering women and young girls living with disabilities to know their rights and demand for better health services in hospitals.
“We majorly focus with sexual reproductive health, gender based violence and also empowering them with information to demand for better services among others,” said Hare.
She added that any person with disability especially women and young girls who might have a challenge in accessing medical care can call their toll free line 0800000300 or also send a message for free to 0799000300 through the Mama siri program.
Mama Siri offers women a confidential and immediate channel to seek support, guidance, and information regarding Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The anonymity provided by toll-free hotlines encourages women and girls with disabilities to reach out for help without fear of judgment.
It serves as a reliable source of information on SRH and GBV issues, providing women with disabilities with accurate and up-to-date information about reproductive health, family planning, and ways to prevent and address gender-based violence.
In addition, women with disabilities experiencing crises related to SRH or GBV can access timely intervention through the toll-free number and immediate assistance, referrals to support services, and crisis management strategies.
Mama Siri also plays a crucial role in educating women about their sexual and reproductive rights, as well as providing awareness campaigns to prevent GBV.
The organization which is headquartered in Nairobi, has been in operation since 2020 and has since spread its operations to Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Kisumu, Kakamega and Kajiado counties.
Other counties that the organization operates in include Narok, Uasin Gishu, Wajir, Isiolo, Mandera and Marsabit.
