Our recent technical support visit (May 16) to Vanuatu to meet with stakeholders involved in the Vanuatu wheelchair service provision project proved how valuable the time we spend to “tok tok” with our partners is.
Combined with the delivery of a two-day workshop for Wheelchair Service Managers; during this visit we met with our partners the Vanuatu Society for Persons with Disabilities (VSPD), Sanma Frangipani Association (SFA), the Disability Desk (Ministry of Justice and Community Services) and the Ministry of Health. We were able to discuss some of the key issues that need to be addressed when initiating consistent, sustainable, equitable mobility device services such as ensuring personnel have the right training, systems for data collection, setting up and maintaining facilities, and inter-organisation collaboration to manage referrals and follow up of wheelchair users in the community.
We were also able to progress discussions with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice and Community Services in finalising a Memorandum of Understanding for our partnership, which includes agreed standards of provision for wheelchair services. This is a very important step, and we welcome the due consideration that this MOU has been given by both Ministries.
We now look forward to delivering wheelchair service delivery training (WHO basic level) in Vanuatu in early July 2016.