At Sassoon hospital, new process for procuring disability certificates in place, but many still unaware
In the last six years, the Maharashtra government has distributed over five lakh disability certificates via an online process. Recently, the Centre launched an initiative to provide a ‘Unique ID for persons with Disabilities’ (UDID).
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Tahir Khan, who is differently-abled, waits for his turn to get a disability certificate. (Express photo)
Tahir Khan, 45, who is hearing and speech impaired, waits patiently with his 60-year-old mother Rehmat Khan at the Sassoon General Hospital. “We have come from Khadakwasla and need a disability certificate. We have been coming for the last two months,”says Rehmat.
Standing in the same queue is Mahavir Jain, who needs a disability certificate for his seven-year-old niece Dhanashree. “We have to submit the certificate at her school,” says Jain.
Also waiting for a disability certificate is polio-affected Lahu Nimbalkar. “Once I have a disability certificate, I can apply for a job in any of the government departments,” he says.
In the last six years, the Maharashtra government has distributed over five lakh disability certificates via an online process. Recently, the Centre launched an initiative to provide a ‘Unique ID for persons with Disabilities’ (UDID). The Centre is trying to make the process of obtaining an UDID card or disability certificate, needed to avail schemes and benefits provided by the government, easier.
The UDID portal has been designed to provide an online platform for procuring a disability certificate/card and for the renewal of an existing card. This card will be the single document for identification and verification.
To avail the unique ID, differently-abled persons have to fill up an online form, and once they do so successfully, a message is sent to them detailing the successive steps.
However, many remain unaware of the new scheme by Centre, and the steps that need to be followed to avail a disability certificate through it.
“Since the process is online, persons with disability can check the status of their application forms. But there is a lack of awareness about the online process, so people still turn up in large numbers at the hospital,” says Dr Ajay Taware, medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital.
At the Sassoon General Hospital, authorities have set aside two days, Wednesdays and Thursdays, for processing applications, verifying documents and issuing disability certificates.
However, they admit that there wasn’t much awareness about the Centre’s scheme and the online procedure, introduced on October 2.
Last week, 12 disability certificates were issued by the hospital while today, doctors said they were able to issue 30 disability certificates.
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