Wheelchairs donated to Persons With Disability (PWDs), by the Ghana Federation of Disability (GFD) have continued to be unused and left to the mercy of the weather in the Krachi East Municipality.
The wheelchairs were donated to support the mobility of people living with disabilities in some Municipal and District Assemblies.
More than 50 wheelchairs have been sighted under the weather over five years now lying at the premises of Ghana Education Service in the Municipality.
An investigation conducted by GNA indicated that the items were presented to various Municipalities and District Assemblies of the Oti Region in 2019.
Mr Emmanuel Donkor, the President of GFD in the Oti Region revealed that the abandoned wheelchairs were meant for Krachi West Municipal Assembly.
Speaking to GNA, he said the chairman of PWDs at Krachi West disclosed that several attempts were made for financial assistance from the district assembly to transport the chairs yielded no response.
“Unemployment rate among disabled people in Ghana is higher than the non-disabled people, statistics indicated that Persons with disabilities in Ghana are estimated to be 10 per cent of the total population, where will they get money and come for the wheelchairs,” he asked.
Mr Caleb Niwi, the Regional Secretary of GFD explained that most of the wheelchairs that were brought have problems with their castors, push rings, tip assist bars, heel loops and footplates, adding that, the rising cost of maintenance scared the beneficiaries.
He said the faulty wheelchairs brought by GFD would cost some GHC300,00 each to be repaired for its intended purpose.