The Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria (ALDIN) wishes to draw the attention of governments at all levels to the dire need of making provisions for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable and poor persons, who get critically sick in this period of the lockdown, when commercial transport operations are prohibited.
Against the background of the lockdown, and people are so poor that they do not have private vehicles at their disposal:
- What is the fate of a sickle sell patient, who goes into crisis?
- What become the fate of a pregnant woman, who goes into labour?
- What happen to a person who suffers a cardiac attack?
- What happens to a person, whose medical condition suddenly takes a dangerous trajectory?
And the list can go on and on.
The presence of COVID-19, it should be noted, has not in anyway, abated the occurrence of other kinds of ailments, some of which require urgent attention.
On the contrary, the effect of COVID-19 on a person is aggravated by the presence of other underlying sicknesses.
This makes it imperative to have systems in place to seamlessly address other medical situations during the pendency of the current lockdown.
In the light of the foregoing, ALDIN demands that governments at all levels should put the necessary arrangement in place to reach such poor people with the necessary medical services.
For instance, there should be in place ubiquitous mobile hospitals, with toll free lines, to respond to medical distress to calls.
This is of a special concern to ALDN because persons with disabilities constitute the greater percentage of the poorest of the poor.
Signed:
Daniel Onwe, Esq., Notary Public
President
Gaius Ogan, Esq
General Secretary