The Spinal Cord Injuries Association requests a rehabilitation institute from Tinubu.

The Nigerian Spinal Cord Injuries Association has urged President Bola Tinubu to help build a rehabilitation facility for them.The availability of a rehab facility would enable people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) to lead independent and fruitful lives, according to a statement provided to The Reporter on Tuesday in honour of “Spinal Cord Injury Day.

“The International Spinal Cord Society has designated 5 September as a day to raise awareness of the most pressing concerns facing people with spinal cord injuries.This year’s event theme is “Access to SCI services – A less complicated life.”

“We recall, with a deep sense of appreciation, that the President, in his capacity as Governor of Lagos State, gave us a fixed portion of his monthly salary and also assisted SCIAN in some landscaping and perimeter fencing,” the statement said.

“We kindly request that the President generously consider the development of our rehab centre as a major health sector intervention, now that he has additional resources at his disposal.”There is little doubt that this will enable SCI individuals to lead autonomous, fruitful lives and thereby support the nation’s socioeconomic advancement.

“The statement claims that many people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) rot away at home after leaving the hospital due to a lack of access to rehabilitation institutions. It further claims that there are no publicly funded, reasonably priced rehabilitation centres to address these people’s physical and mental health issues.

Many years have passed since SCIAN was given land in Lagos to construct a rehabilitation centre, but we haven’t been able to finish the structure or get the tools we need.”Our level of functionality has been significantly impacted by the absence of access to rehabilitation, which has made life extremely challenging and confusing for us.

It stated, “There is no public, reasonably priced rehabilitation centre to address the physical and mental health challenges of many spinal cord injured people, so they rot away at home after leaving the hospital.”