No fewer than 300 amputees in Zamfara State would be given free artificial limbs by the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in partnership with the Tolaram Foundation of India, the coordinator of the programme, Alhaji Muhammad Abba Dankande, has said.
Alhaji Dankande told Daily Trust on Sunday in Gusau, Zamfara State, that arrangements for the programme had been concluded and 300 amputees drawn from the 14 local government areas of the state had been identified and shortlisted by JIBWIS.
He said the joint venture provided free artificial limbs to amputees in 2015 under the invitation of professionals to Nigeria by the national chairman of JIBWIS, Sheik Abdullahi Bala Lau.
“So far, more than 4,000 amputees have benefited while Zamfara State would be the first state to solely benefit from such facilities without inviting patients from other states to join or transporting the beneficiaries to Abuja.
“Gusau LGA has the highest number of beneficiaries with 61 while Bakura LGA with the lowest number is expected to turn in only three amputees to receive the artificial limbs,” he added.
Alhaji Abba Dankande said a team of experts was expected to arrive Gusau on Monday. The experts would take the measurements of each of the amputees on Tuesday after which their limbs would be fixed.
He said the experts and many other stakeholders would take part in the programme, and called for support from the lawmakers representing various constituencies of the amputees even as he thanked the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Bala Bello Maru and the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Health for their unflinching support.
