By Abdulai Fasineh Dumbuya
Members of Amputees and War Wounded Association want government intervention, to address what they say is the appalling condition of members across the country.
Speaking in a media interview, the Vice President of Amputees and War Wounded Association, Mohamed Bah explained that the amputees mostly victims of the past civil conflict, face daily challenges. He said successive governments have neglected them.
He said they recently met Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, who he said assured them they will have an audience with President Julius Maada Bio.
Bah said one of the concerns they brought to the attention of the chief minister was the condition of their camps that he said have houses that are in a dilapidated state. He said they had pleaded to the government to refurbish the camps spread across the country that accommodate some 2,300 of their members and families.
He narrated how 10 children of amputees could not get enrollment into university, with all the good credits they had in the exams, because of lack of financial support. “We walked up the doorsteps of many people, yet our children could not get into university. And these are some of the concerns we told the chief minister in our encounter,” he said.
Bah added that as a result of the neglect of their health condition, a good number of them have died, even though he said governments had been assuring them of getting them access to medical treatment over the years.
“But when we go to the hospitals, they deny us treatment and they ask us to pay for every treatment. Life is so terrible for me and my fellow amputees. Food to eat and other things are serious problems amongst us”, Bah narrated.
He named amputee camps at Waterloo, Grafton, Rokel,and Number 2, all in the Western Area as places he said cannot be properly managed because of lack of funds.
He spoke of a Cashew Farm owned and managed by the association that he said is aimed that augmenting their needs and minimizing their street begging, and used the opportunity to encourage amputee members to take agriculture seriously to attain livelihood support. He also spoke about a forty acre land owned by the association that is located in Port Loko for agricultural ventures.
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission TRC report, amputees and war- wounded were entitled to free medical care, and support for their children’s education. However, Bah denied them enjoying any of those facilities, which he said has prompted them to embark on follow-up engagements with state authorities.
In a verified social media post the Chief Minister said amputees and war wounded are fellow citizens and the symbol and representation of peace in Sierra Leone.
‘’The Truth and Reconciliation Commission report explicitly accounts for them. We will correct it’’, he said.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (27/11/23)
