Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 1: In a cruel joke with several Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and their attendants, Government today deferred the meeting of Medical Board, which was scheduled to be held today at Government Psychiatric Hospital, till January 15 without any prior notice.
Pertinent to mention here that Government has formally rolled out Unique ID for PwDs (UDID) Project for enrollment, issuance of Disbaility Certificates and Universal ID for PwDs in the State on October 2 last year. The project is aimed at building a holistic end-to-end integrated system for issuance of Universal ID & Disability Certificates for PwDs with their identification and disability details.
“The project which was rolled out to encourage transparency, efficiency and ease of delivering the Government benefits to PwDs, has become a tool for some officers to harass PwDs, particularly those having psychiatric problems, as they on their whim and fancies hold meetings of Medical Board and defer the same on last moment,” a delegation of attendants of PwDs told Excelsior today.
The delegation said that a meeting of Board of Doctors was scheduled to be held this morning at Government Psychiatric Hospital, Jammu and over 15 mentally challenged persons drawn from various parts of the district like Jourian (Akhnoor), RS Pura and Bishnah, reached the venue helped by their attendants as being mentally challenged they could not come alone but after a long wait, they were told to go back and come on January 15 as the meeting has been deferred.
Criticizing the authorities for this cruel joke with mentally challenged persons, the delegation members said how the authorities can defer the meeting without any prior notice. Were they unaware that the meeting was to examine the percentage of disability of mentally challenged persons, who cannot even move from one room to another in their houses, they questioned, adding that this type of attitude was not expected from doctors, as it has caused discomfort to the PwDs and their attendants.
They urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to look into the matter and pass directions to the concerned officers to ensure that no harassment is done to PwDs and their attendants are informed well in time about holding and deferment of Board meetings.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel