TWENTY-ONE wheelchairs were given to members of the Spinal Injury Association as part part of a week-long training on handling disability patients.
The wheelchairs cost about $2800 each and were donated by a non-government organisation (NGO) called Motivation Australia.
The week-long training, in conjunction with the Spinal Injury Association, was undertaken by a group of students from the Fiji National University.
The students are studying Bachelor in Physiotherapy program at FNU’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
Lecturer in Physiotherapy Shofeen Begum highlighted that 21 Spinal Injury Association members took part in the training whereby the students assessed them and demonstrated to them, how to use the wheelchairs.
Final year student Marylene Kumar said that they will soon be going to hospitals to do community based rehabilitation and this training has been a good opportunity.
Meanwhile 58-year-old Pauliasi Mateboto who has a spinal cord injury said he was grateful to the students for their hard work.
He added that he had been waiting for a wheelchair ever since he was discharged from the hospital more than a year ago and is thankful that the long wait is now over.
