State, LGs partner on PWD education, healthcare

The Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs has appealed to the various local government areas and local council development areas in the state to complement the vision of the state government in creating education and healthcare policies and programmes that will directly impact the lives of persons with disabilities.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, made the appeal during a town-hall meeting with Heads of Departments of Agriculture and Social Services from various councils in the state, according to a statement on Wednesday.

Speaking during the meeting tagged, �Role of Local Government Authority in enhancing access to health and education for people with disabilities in the grassroots�, Oke-Osanyintolu said LGAs� must work together with LASODA to reach the grassroots.

The statement quoted her as saying, �The state cannot work without the local government, because it is through the local government that we can reach the grassroots. So, it is important we work in unison so that the people we are trying to serve can get the best, efficient and quality service delivery.�

Oke-Osanyintolu added that the meeting provided a platform for the ministry to listen to the views of the various physically-challenged clusters about how they perceive the various interventions of the government regarding persons with disabilities.

On his part, the General Manager of LASODA, Olawadamilare Ogundairo, said, �We are using this town hall meeting to educate grassroot officials on their roles in ensuring access to inclusive education and quality health delivery and also get feedback from the stakeholders on what could be done to improve on service delivery to persons with disabilities.�