Govt working to improve lives of disabled women, children: minister

MANSEHRA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Social Welfare Dr Hisham Inamullah has said that the government is working on a strategy for the economic empowerment of women and children with disabilities across the province.

“In the past, none of the governments collected such accurate data on women and children with disabilities but our government is following a strategy in this regard,” he told a gathering organised by the Helping Hand Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences here on Saturday.

Educationists, dignitaries and students from across Hazara attended the event.

Dr Hisham said the first sociological institution for the children with disabilities would be inaugurated within three months where mentally challenged children from across the province could be enrolled.

He lauded the efforts of the Helping Hand organisation for the rehabilitation of thousands of people with disabilities in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad since the 2005 devastating earthquake.

Speaking on the occasion, Country Director Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) Muhammad Saleem Mansoori said the charity was working in 50 countries.

“We have supplied high-tech surgical machines and equipment to public sector health facilities across Pakistan, with Rs5 billion financial assistance extended by Pakistani expatriates settled in America,” said Mansoori.

He said that the organisation, in collaboration with 15 universities in the country, was trying to equip youths with different skills.

Prof Bahadur and Dr Karamatullah on the occasion said the HHIRS has provided more than 40,000 disabled people with artificial limbs.

They said the institution would be upgraded to the first ever University of Rehabilitation Sciences in Asia.