Government: No outstanding requests for wheelchairs at Welfare Division

LEADER of government business Camille Robinson-Regis says there are no outstanding requests for wheelchairs at the Social Development Ministry's Social Welfare Division.

She was responding to questions in Parliament on Wednesday.

Opposition MP David Lee asked," given reports of numerous unsuccessful requests for wheelchairs from needy citizens," whether Minister of Social Development Donna Cox could say if the ministry has "sufficient funding to facilitate the necessary acquisition of wheelchairs to provide to disabled persons."

Robinson-Regis answered that for the fiscal year 2021-2022, the ministry got 407 wheelchairs, at a cost of $873,900.

She added that as of April 1, 2023, a total of 134 had been distributed.

And for the fiscal year 2022-2023, she said, the government allocated $1 million under "urgent temporary assistance.

"Additional wheelchairs will be sourced from this allocation once the need arises," she said, but: "At present, there are no outstanding requests."