About 175 persons with mobility disabilities in the country are to benefit from a wheelchair distribution project by Tullow Ghana Limited to improve their mobility.
The project, Tullow Ghana's Share Prosperity Initiative, is aimed at providing wheelchairs to enhance mobility for persons with mobility disabilities in the country.
It is being undertaken in partnership with Walkabout Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
A news release issued by Tullow Ghana said, the custom-fitted wheelchairs would be given to selected students with mobility disabilities from the Western Region.
Additionally, the release said the project would involve the training of staff of the Orthopaedic Training Centre (OTC) in Nsawam in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
"An estimated 175 physically challenged individuals will receive the custom-fitted wheelchairs, while 10 staff members of the OTC received rigorous training in the World Health Organisation's approved Basic Wheelchair Service Training Programme to learn the theory and practice, as well as recent trends in the provision of orthopaedic healthcare," it added.
Announcing the partnership, Deputy Managing Director of Tullow Ghana, Mrs Cynthia Lumor said Tullow believed that the Shared Prosperity through Oil and Gas could drive economic growth in developing economies.
To promote sustainable operations, she noted that the company looks out for the welfare of members of its host communities, particularly students.
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"This partnership will not only inure to the benefit of the direct recipients, but also increase local capacity in basic and rehabilitative orthopaedic service delivery.
Beyond that, the life changing effects of this intervention will impact the families and caregivers of the direct beneficiaries," she added.
MrsLumor expressed confidence that the support by the company would translate into economic empowerment for residents of its operational communities.
A representative of Walkabout Foundation lauded Tullow Ghana for the partnership and investment into the project.
"This project is our way of contributing to the advancement of society and we thank Tullow Ghana for the support to provide the training and wheelchairs to the beneficiaries.
Using the Wheels for Humanity's calculator for wheelchair distributions, we estimate over 600 individuals will be positively impacted through this initiative. We are also grateful for OTC's support with rehabilitation which brings the orthopaedic healthcare to full cycle," he added.
The project is a collaborative and inclusive effort where Tullow Ghana will provide the funding and necessary national, regional, and local stakeholder support and alignment.
Walkabout Foundation, on the other hand, will provide expertise, wheelchairs, and training programme, and the OTC supporting with their beneficiary rehabilitation programme and physiotherapy expertise.
