More than 70 people received free eye tests and will soon be fitted with prescription eyeglasses during a Human Services and Social Security Ministry outreach at Herstelling/Little Diamond and Grove/Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
Some 30 vulnerable residents also received mobility aids, including wheelchairs, walkers, and canes, during the exercise.
First among the wheelchair recipients was Persaud, who collected a wheelchair for his wife living with Parkinson’s disease.
“I’m glad she got this wheelchair because they said they were sharing wheelchairs. I almost left because she was alone at home, but now she can go to the bathroom safely without me having to carry her. I have to bathe her and do everything, so this really helps,” she said.
Also benefitting was Rajkumarie, who received a wheelchair for her bedridden son-in-law.
“I received this wheelchair for my son-in-law. He’s bedridden and damaged his spine, so I’m happy he can now have this wheelchair,” she noted.
Probation and Social Services officers were on site to offer one-on-one support with pension and public assistance applications. The ministry says it will continue these community outreaches across the East Bank and other regions, building on previous initiatives to reach vulnerable residents and improve quality of life.
In 2023, 465 persons with disabilities received assistive devices, and the government budgeted support for another 600 individuals in 2024. By mid-2024, 73 persons across Regions Two to Five had already benefited from the programme.
The ministry also provides assistance beyond mobility aids, including hampers, funeral support, and fire relief, with some $71 million expended in 2024. The Ministry of Health estimates that about 6.4 per cent of the population — around 50,000 people — live with a disability.
