US company to produce wheelchairs in Ghana

The Echoing Hills Village, a Christian Ministry, is negotiating with Joni and Friends Ministries of United State to set up a multi billion-cedi plant to produce wheelchairs in Ghana. Mr Willian D. Agbeti, Executive Administrator, told Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive, who went there to interact with the disabled in the village at the weekend.

The wheelchairs that would be produced could be used on all terrains in Ghana unlike the imported ones that were made for the good roads in their countries of manufacture. "What we are planning to come out with from the plant to be set up, will be suitable for all types of roads", he said. Mr Agbeti said Mrs Joni Eareckson, the Quadriplegic (no use of her limbs of both legs and hands), who is a leading advocate on disability and founded Joni and Friends Ministries, had agreed to assist the village to establish the plant.

Mrs Eareckson was in Ghana in 1995 and met the then President of Ghana, and had since then, made Ghana the permanent location in Africa where wheelchairs were brought in large quantities for distribution to the needy. Mr Agbeti said the two thousandth wheelchair was donated to a cripple at the Baptist Bible Church in Koforidua last April. "While we have 690 wheelchairs at the Tema Port and we are preparing the necessary papers to clear on exemption, there are another 600 of them on the high seas, which will arrive within the next few months to be distributed to the needy."

The Executive Administrator said the Village has had 1,000 wheelchairs all donated from various sources and individuals from the United States, adding they started receiving wheelchairs for distribution in 1994. Mr Narh who was accompanied by Alhaji Ibrahim Husseini, Co-ordinating Director, appealed to the Administrator to assist some cripples at Tema Manhean, who did not benefit from the recent presentation of wheelchairs by Mr Ishmael Ashietey, MP for Tema East. Mr Narh donated 10 each of foam mattresses and blankets to the village.