People living with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), have been encouraged not to see their present condition as the end of life, as they can still be successful and achieve a lot in life.

          The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Efuwape, made this known in Abeokuta at the commemoration of the 2021 Spinal Cord Injury Day, with the theme: "COVID-19 and SCI: Staying healthy with the help of telecommunication and telehealth", saying the essence of the Day was to recognise and celebrate multiple important facts about life of people living with spinal cord injury.

          Efuwape, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs, Hon. Adijat Oladapo-Adeleye, explained that COVID-19 is a major concern, affecting lives of millions of people around the world and posing challenges to health care, particularly on people living with spinal cord injury, noting that, ‘’despite common misconceptions, surviving spinal cord injury does not necessarily mean the end of life, as they could still achieve a lot and be celebrated’’.

        Speaking on the theme, the Commissioner revealed that, spinal injury is distressing at any age and life stage and could lead to losing one’s independence, freedom and reasons for staying alive, stressing the need to adopt Telecommunication and Telehealth as an effective way to facilitate optimal health service delivery, to minimise the hazard of direct person-to-person exposure to COVID-19.

        In his lecture, an Orthopedist from the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Dr. Kunle Ashimi said, the essence of the theme was to enlighten people with spinal cord injury on the various ways they could use their phones to make life comfortable for them, highlighting three areas their phones could be used for their conveniences, such as teaching, exercise and communication.

          “Your phones can be used for telehealth, where you can book appointments with your health care providers and through communication, your loved ones can call to give words of advice among other things", he said.

        Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, the Chairman, Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Mr. Ayo Awobona, appreciated the State government for the empowerment tools given to them, promising to make good use of it.

        Highlight of the event in distribution of empowerment tools which includes; wheel chairs, chest freezers, grinding machine, gas burner, gas cylinder, food items among others.