Regional News of Friday, 17 July 2009

Source: GNA

NDC accident victim receives artificially fabricated leg

Accra, July 17, GNA - Ms Wassila Ibrahim, an adherent of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), who was involved in a motor accident at Datoyilli in the Northern Region, in June last year, has received an artificially fabricated leg for her immobilized limb.

The prosthesis would help Wassila who loss her leg in the accident on the Tamale-Kumasi highway, when Vice President John Dramani Mahama was on a campaign tour of the region, to stand and walk. Through the assistance of the Vice President, a US non-governmental organisation, Standing with Hope (SWH), provided the artificial limb for Wassila.

She called on Vice President Mahama at the Osu Castle, to show her appreciation. President Mahama commended the SWH for the urgency at which the organisation responded to his request in giving Ms Wassila a new lease of life. He said Wassila would also be assisted to learn a trade while the other victims of the accident would also be offered some assistance. Vice President Mahama assured her that the party will continue to do all it could to ensure the welfare of all those who suffered any form of mishap while serving or supporting the party during the campaign for Election 2008. Ms Wassila thanked the Vice President and the NDC for not abandoning her. An official of the SWH, Mr Jonathan Cofie, pledged his outfit's readiness to collaborate with government to rehabilitate amputees in the country.

The SWH has operated in Ghana for more than five years, assisting the Ghana Health Service, to train professionals in the design and fabrication of prosthesis and orthosis for patients. Orthosis helps to control weakened or deformed regions of the body of a physically challenged person and may be used on various areas of the body including the limbs, cranium or spine. 17 July 09