Rayagada: Tension gripped Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital Wednesday after differently-abled persons were asked to come for medical tests for getting disability certificates February 2 due to the absence of doctors.
Around 500 differently-abled people who had come to the DHH for medical tests for getting disability certificates, returned home disappointed Wednesday as the posts of specialist doctors had not been filled.
People coming from remote areas have to travel for eight to nine hours to reach the DHH, and then queue up for three to four hours to undergo medical tests.
Around 150 persons registered their names at the DHH Wednesday. Of them the deaf and dumb were tested by a medicine specialist and a private doctor examined 10 blind individuals. Similarly, 35 applicants were examined by an E&T specialist.
But 71 people with orthopaedic disabilities and 16 others who had registered their names couldn’t undergo medical tests.
Reports said that around 2,300 persons with disabilities were unable to get disability certificates as specialists have not been appointed.
Around 2,300 differently-abled persons from across the district had applied for disability certificate last year. As per rules, the differently-abled have to first register their names at the DHH and then undergo medical tests
During the process of identifying differently-abled persons, the Sub-Collector, block and municipality authorities would be present. Later, those who are found disabled would get their certificates online.
However, the applicants from the district had been facing difficulties in getting a certificate since two years due to mismanagement at the DHH.
As per government rules the differently-abled who apply for certificates have to undergo medical tests on the second day of every month to get it from the hospital.
PNN