Labasa Hospital has been labelled “not disabled-friendly” by people living with disabilities up North.
They say the hospital does not have ramps and its doorways do not open wide enough to allow easy wheelchair movement through them.
Labasa Special School teacher Vimlesh Naidu said a disabled-friendly facility is one which enables people with disabilities to move around freely and safely.
Mr Naidu said patients with disabilities were considered vulnerable and hospitals were required to take care of their safety.
“Being disabled-friendly uplifts the image of a hospital and is also expected by various accreditation agencies,” he said.
Mr Naidu said the hospital needed to be built typically for locomotor and visual disability.
“While people with loco-motor disability would usually be in wheelchairs, this requires a disabled-friendly hospital to make its interior easily accessible for wheelchairs.
“People with limited vision will need mechanisms to understand the areas within the hospital. “This is typically achieved by strategically placing a guiding block.”
When asked for comments, Health Ministry permanent secretary Doctor James Fong referred questions to Divisional Medical Officer North Doctor Tiko Saumalua.
However, Dr Saumalua wouldn’t comment and referred this newspaper to Labasa Hospital medical superintendent Doctor Jaoji Vulibeci.
Attempts to get comments from Dr Vulibeci remained futile when this edition went to press.
