Delhi govt sets up panel to monitor issuance of disability certificates, UDID cards

Concerned over long delays in issuance of disability certificates and unique disability identity (UDID) cards, the Delhi government on Friday set up a committee which will ensure that these documents are prepared in time.

The committee will monitor the issuance of these documents to persons with disabilities and action will be taken against hospitals that take longer than the usual time, according to an official.

The decision was taken at a meeting -- jointly chaired by Social Justice Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and Health Minister Satyendra Jain -- to resolve issues pertaining to delays in the issuance of disability certificates and UDID cards.

Medical superintendents of all hospitals in Delhi, and senior officials of social welfare and health departments attended the meeting.

The ministers also directed 11 major government hospitals in Delhi to prepare disability certificates and UDID cards in their premises and not refer applicants to other healthcare facilities, an official said.

The 11 hospitals are -- Guru Teg Bahadur, Govind Ballabh Pant, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Dr Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung, AIIMS, Lady Hardinge, Bara Hindu Rao and Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences.

"In respect of non-availability of concerned specialist doctors in designated hospitals, it has been decided that hospitals may refer the patient to a private healthcare setup for the requisite assessment," a government statement said.

"On receiving the required reports from the private healthcare facility, the government hospital will issue the certificate. The Delhi government would bear the expenses (incurred) at the private hospitals through the Delhi Arogya Kosh," it said.

The social welfare department will also provide one data entry operator to each hospital to assist the health department in preparing disability certificates and UDID cards.