Differently abled persons find it difficult to get ID cards

Differently abled persons made to wait during the weekly camp to obtain identity cards at 

 the Government Headquarters Hospital in Krishnagiri on Thursday. Photo: N. Bhaskaran

On Thursdays, several differently abled persons from far away places come to the Krishnagiri district headquarters hospital to obtain Identity Cards. But only a handful of them return happily with the cards, that too after a long wait of nearly four hours.

The others are made to come to the hospital twice or thrice to get the cards.

On an average, over 200 differently abled persons come to the weekly camps at the GH prior to the enhancement of monthly monetary assistance by the State Government.

But, after the enhancement of the amount to Rs. 1,000 a month, the number of persons approaching the hospital and the District Differently abled Rehabilitation Office has increased considerably, says a district official.

Of the 347 persons who visited the Government Hospital on Thursday, 60 were ineligible for the ID cards, the official adds.

Some of the differently abled persons waiting in queues told The Hindu that they were running from pillar to post to get the ID cards. Every time they visited the camp with the hope of getting the cards but had to return disappointed.

They were denied cards either at the registration level or the specialist doctors were not available to assess the percentage of the handicap that would make them eligible for the assistance.

It may be noted that one should have at least 40 per cent disability to get the card. The official laments that many normal people also come here and insist on getting these ID cards.

V.M. Vajram Chettiyar (62) from Berigai, over 50 km from Krishnagiri, says that he was attending the camp for the second time as the doctors left for home at around 2 p.m. last week.

K. Muniyan (60) of Jeenur near Krishnagiri also has the same grievance.

C. Nethraj (28) was also told to visit camp for the second time, thanks to the official apathy.

C. Murugesan, district secretary, Tamilnadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC), says that it will be proper to conduct the camps at the block level or at all the Primary Health Centres, as many persons with disability are brought by their relatives to the camps from far flung places.

Mr. Imthiyas, District Differently Abled Rehabilitation Officer in-charge, says that he will discuss the issue with the Collector on August 9 to conduct the weekly camps at the Collectorate and to ease the crowd at the GH for the benefit of the differently abled persons.