She missed her polio drops, was paralysed, walked on callipers and became a doctor

Chaudhary’s left leg was paralysed in a bout of polio when she was nine months old. Born in Mathura, where her father runs an agricultural equipment manufacturing business, she regrets not getting her polio drops. (With an aggressive oral vaccination drive through polio booths, the government was able to eliminate the viral infection from India in 2014).

“My parents aren’t very educated and did not understand much about polio drops. Had I received the drops, I could have avoided polio,” says she. It took two surgeries at the age of four and seven years for her to start walking.

COURAGE WITH HELP OF CALLIPERS

But that did not stop her from studying hard, and with foot callipers, she completed her MBBS degree in 2021. From a very young age, she knew she wanted to do something to distinguish herself; she wanted to be respected by society.

“I knew I wanted to do something big but did not know what till I was in class X. When we were to select the subjects for the next year, my biology teacher pointed out that I was interested in the subject and even good at it. She encouraged me to become a doctor and my mind was set,” she tells us.

Chaudhary says she was lucky to find herself in a medical school where teachers tried to ensure that she wasn’t left out. “My professors and teachers at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur were very supportive. I had seniors with disabilities too and the teachers never made any of us feel that we were less than anyone else. In fact, they helped us by giving us shorter duties, ensuring that we weren’t always on our feet,” she adds.

With supportive school teachers and college professors, nothing prepared her for what she was about to face when heading for counselling for a PG seat.

THE LEGAL BATTLE TO PROVE HER ABILITY

Once candidates clear the NEET-PG exam, they need to get a certificate stating that they are fit to pursue the course from one of the 15 centres across the country. Those with locomotor disabilities between 40 and 80 per cent are eligible for NEET PG under disability quota – any low and they do not qualify for the quota, any high and they are not eligible for PG itself.

Despite being able to do her daily chores, walk by herself without calliper support, complete the medical degree and the mandatory one-year long internship, Chaudhary was given a 100 per cent disability certificate by Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi. This essentially meant a panel of expert doctors thought that she would be unable to pursue her post-graduation given her physical limitations.

“I could walk normally with the callipers. And, even when I didn’t wear them at home, I was able to walk by putting some pressure on my left leg with my hands. I attended lectures, did my practical training, and worked in the hospital during my internship. When I was able to do everything on my own, how could Safdarjung authorities say that I was 100 per cent disabled?”

She was surprised by the certificate. Just like her, Safdarjung Hospital gave a 100 per cent disability certificate disqualifying Anjali Bala and Mohammad Usman – both of whom had lower limb disabilities. Yet both of them had been given a go-ahead for their MBBS training earlier and for PG training from other institutes.

Knowing this, Chaudhary decided to fight it out in the courts. And, won. The Delhi High Court allowed her to be assessed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. With the hospital certifying that her disability was less than 80 per cent, she was permitted to appear for the NEET-PG counselling.

“Many people do not like the fact that the cut-offs for people with disabilities are lower than for the general population. But that is the definition of equality – those who are disadvantaged should get a leg up so that they can be at level with others,” says Chaudhary, who is now pursuing her dreams confidently.