Islamabad
6th May, 2009: Lt Gen Sajad Akram
awarded appointment letters to the
persons with disabilities which takes
the total number of persons which
employed by area is 43.All these
candidates belong to the earthquake
effected areas and have been employed
in different projects of ERRA in these
area.
In his address to the gathering on
this occasion Lt Gen Sajad Akram said
that he was highly moved by the
commitment to work shown by these
persons with disability. He
appreciated their efforts to get a
honorable mean of livelihood rather
than being a liability to the society.
Medical Rehabilitation of Person with
Disabilities (PWDs) in the Earthquake
Affected Areas (MRDEA) is a PKR 742.41
million project of Earthquake
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Authority (ERRA), specifically
designed to provide comprehensive
rehabilitative services to the Persons
with Disabilities (PWDs) in the
earthquake affected areas. This is
being achieved through a combination
of institutional and community based
rehabilitation approach, as they not
only compliment each other but in the
absence of one the other approach
often becomes inadequate.
The project objectives include
establishment of Medical
Rehabilitation Centers at Muzaffarabad
and Abbotabad (50 bedded each) for
Persons with spinal cord injury in
particular and all types of
disabilities in general. Community
Based Rehabilitation (CBR) services at
Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Mansehra and
Shangla. Institutional Strengthening
of THQs and DHQs in Atthmaqam, Hattian
Bala, Bagh, Shangla, Battagaram and
Oghi by Basic Rehabilitation Units (BRUs).The
center at Muzaffarabad has been
completed and would be handed over
next week and we hope to make it
operational within two weeks.
Immediate relief to the Person with
Disabilities (PWDs) has been provided
by the establishment of temporary
makeshift facilities at all the main
locations of the project.
Till today, more than 25,000 PWDs and
their families have benefited through
the projects health interventions,
which includes physical therapy,
medical consultation, psycho-social
support and speech therapy.
Livelihood support has been provided
to more than 326 PWDs and a total of
352 Children with Disabilities (CWDs)
have been mainstreamed into inclusive
education.
Awareness raising workshops with the
support of WHO, highlighting the
disability issues have been conducted
at Abbotabad, Mansehra, Battagram,
Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot to
educate and sensitize the health and
education professionals,
representatives of local government
and political leadership.
Government has reserved a 02 % quota
for PWDs in public sector jobs whereas
on the directives of Gen Sajjad Akram,
ERRA’s project is giving priority to
PWDs in jobs and has recruited 8 %
(43) PWDs in various capacities
depending on their qualification,
experience and type of disability. The
goal of the MRDEA livelihood component
is to ensure that the right to work of
persons with disabilities is
recognized and that actions are taken
to assist persons with disabilities to
access skills development and work
opportunities. |