Disabled Hand Over Healthcare Demands To Suhakam

UPDATED!

PETPOSITIVE BARKING NEWS!

DATELINE PETALING JAYA

AS MANY AS A DOZEN disabled people - representing the handicapped community in Malaysia - are demanding for much better treatment for healthcare and services by the government.

Leaders of two national disability groups PETPOSITIVE and the Independent Living and Training Centre are handing over a memorandum to Suhakam Commissioner James Nayagam listing down their demands for a higher quality of living for the disabled community. 

The memo reads: 

"WE, DISABLED MALAYSIANS WHO ARE AGEING WITH HANDICAPS ARE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE NO POLICIES THAT ARE SET UP TO TAKE CARE OF PERSONS GROWING OLDER WITH DISABILITIES AS WELL AS THE INCREASING ELDERLY POPULATION IN THE EVENT OF DISABILITY.

"AS PERSONS WHO HAVE LIVED WITH DISABILITIES ALL OUR LIVES SPANNING SEVERAL DECADES, WE THEREFORE DEMAND THAT OUR NEEDS AND RIGHTS BE LOOKED INTO IMMEDIATELY AND BE REFLECTED ON THE UPCOMING BUDGET SPEECH ON 28 SEPTEMBER 2012.

"WE INSIST ON THE FOLLOWING:

1)      IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTHCARE FOR DISABLED AND ELDERLY PERSONS:

·        All medication to be provided absolutely free of charge in all government hospitals to persons with disabilities who are registered with the Social Welfare Department. Although it is said to have been done, many disabled patients have been told to buy medication elsewhere when they need it. Medication should include cotton balls, gauzes and other items needed especially for treating bed and pressure sores often affecting wheelchair users.

·        Nurses should be made available to make home visits from the nearest government hospitals to disabled and elderly people who require health services, especially those discharged from hospitals and needing professional health care at home.

2)      CAREGIVERS FOR PROFOUNDLY DISABLED PERSONS AND THOSE AGEING WITH DISABILITIES.

·        Caregivers to deal with disabled and elderly persons should undergo special training. They should include local and foreign workers. Levy and other fees should be waived for caregivers for the disabled. This is important as parents and family members pass away leaving the disabled person with no one to look after them. In overseas countries, they are provided by the government. Care should be taken that poorer communities also have access to such services.

3)      SPECIAL FINANCIAL AID FOR ALL DISABLED PERSONS IN MALAYSIA.

·        A flat rate of RM500 should be given to all disabled persons in Malaysia, regardless it their handicaps or their employment status. This should be given in addition to whatever some might be receiving. The money will go for a variety of reasons,  rising costs, to repairs of assistive devices, transport and caregiver costs.

4)      PENSIONS OF GOVERNMENT SERVANTS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN.

·        This should be given to all categories of disabled persons and not just those who are “severely mentally retarded” and the bedridden. This is pure discrimination."

 

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