FEDOMA executive director Symon Munde told Zodiak Online that individuals with disabilities, especially those with hearing challenges, face significant hurdles in accessing quality healthcare services due to communication barriers.

Munde said the government's delay in providing health workers with essential sign language knowledge hampers progress in universal health coverage.

He said the organization facilitated basic sign language trainings for some health workers in the South West Zone to enhance the provision of quality health services among persons with disabilities.

"We are asking the government to take this issue seriously because issues of health service delivery are not issues of jokes," said Munde.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Adrian Chikumbe said the ministry has initiated an assessment to ascertain the type of disability and the number of individuals with disabilities seeking healthcare services in all facilitie to under relevant training programs for health workers.

Chikumbe said the government is committed to provide health services to the citizenry regardless of one's disability.