HTP demands special treatment within hospitals as vulnerable group

By Desire Muhire.

The Troup of Handicap Persons Twuzuzanye (THT) an organization that advocates and communicates for changed behavior towards disability, the rights of People with Disabilities (PWDs), demands exceptional treatment of their peers while they are seeking for health services.

According to David Twizerimana, Executive Director of THT, the conducted research has revealed that, PWDs are unethically treated due to how they were found themselves in the society, where some medical actors neglect them and this results in various consequences which lead to the extreme abuse of their rights.

THT members made this demands during five day training, gathering health reproductive   medical actors of Ngororero health centers and people with disabilities, held in Muhanga District, last week, order to increase their knowledge on the rights and inclusiveness of PWDs.

“This training aims at elevating the knowledge of medical practitioners on health reproductive awareness of People With Disabilities, inclusive services and how they can change their unfair mentality on how they treat PWDs” Twizeyimana said, warning people without disabilities that disability can, anytime, befall to anyone.”

The baseline information has shown that most of medical practitioners are less informed on the rights of PWDs, others have no basic skills on sign languages which is a big challenge to this vulnerable group who sometimes may risk leaving   hospitals without being treated due to lack of effective communication with health service providers.

Louis Kwizera, representative of RPA Veterans with Disabilities said: “There is clear discrimination and inaccessibility   in hospitals that negatively affect various categories of PWDs.” Kwizera said.

“It is challenging for people with physical disability while delivering, people with mental health impairments are occasionally forcibly injected with syringes without any consent, and there are no accessible paths for wheel chair holders, there is no privacy between people with hearing impairments and doctors as there must be a mediator, translator.” He added.

However, THT, an umbrella operating in  six districts are not too pessimistic to achieve their rights, they appreciate the already set policy of Rwanda Housing Authority, where it is mandatory for newly built public structures to have paths designed for PWDs.

Innocent Migambiyimana, a nurse at Rubona Health Center and Marie Aime Nzasengamungu, his colleague from Muhororo Health Center, said that the training will help them to change some negative attitudes towards PWDs.

“Sometimes we make intolerable mistakes, a person with disability comes for treatment, instead of hearing from him/her, a medical person stares at his/her physical appearances while, ethically we should first of all  listen to the patients and act accordingly.” They said.

“This is the common mistake I have been doing and many of my colleagues. After this training I will totally change such behaviour of mine and of my workmates who did not get the opportunity to attend” Nzasengamungu testified.