Government is initiating a $12 million programme to provide prosthetic limbs to 300 persons annually, via a "one-off grant" from the Ministry of the People and Social Development, Minister Glenn Ramadharsingh said yesterday.At yesterday's post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, he said the programme would assist in rehabilitating such persons.
Ramadharsingh said T&T had about 140,000 diabetics, while approximately 400 people lost limbs annually, according to Health Ministry estimates.Grants being offered would be funded up to about $40,000 a person. In exceptional cases it would not exceed $100,000, he said.The ministry would determine the eligibility of applicants and a committee of ministry officials would survey applications, he added.
Ramadharsingh said "private" parties were supplying the prosthetics at a cheaper cost, around US$2,000 to $5,000, than the normal cost in the region of (US)$20,000 to $30,000. He did not identify who the "parties" were.The ministry is also launching a social mentors' programme to motivate and inspire the disabled. He said there were over 5,000 children with disabilities in T&T, 3,000 of whom were severely disabled.
Under the two-year plan, social mentors will receive a "one-off" grant of $10,000 and an award at a national social development function. They also will get a monthly stipend of $3,500, up to two years. Social mentors can be nominated by schools, groups organisations or clubs. A team from the ministry's disability section will make recommendations to the minister.
They will visit schools, community centres and other village outreach centres to speak not only to the disabled but also youths at risk, other challenged people and the vulnerable.Ramadharsingh listed persons who could be mentors, noting attorney Veera Bhajan, who was born without arms, was among them.He added: "In our own ministry, we have Jason Clarke of Tobago, who is wheelchair-bound, a calypsonian, who is certainly a great community activist."