Srinagar: Promising a reduction in the difficulties of people with disabilities, the Health and Medical Education Department has recently issued orders that the medical examination must be carried out by a medical board assembled together, in addition to ensuring a completely online process.
All offline certificates issued earlier will need to be made online.
“It has been pointed out that the applicants instead of being examined in the full medical board consisting of specialists, are asked to visit the specialists at the respective places of their posting causing huge inconvenience to the applicants” reads the order issued today by Health and Medical Education Department. The matter, as per the circular, has been viewed seriously by the “higher authorities”.
A slew of instructions have been ordered to decrease the problems faced by people with disabilities. These include ensuring that a week in the day be exclusively dedicated to the Medical Board at the office of the Chief Medical Officers.
The medical board meeting must ensure attendance of all nominated members.
The circular addressed to Director Health Services Jammu and Kashmir is titled Issuance of online certificate for disabilities under UDID portal. It has stated that the people with disabilities applying online for a disability certificate be provided complete online certification under UDID.
The offline certificates issued earlier will be re-issued through online mode and for this the Directorates have been directed to carry out awareness campaigns.
“Wide publicity is to be given regarding the location of the medical board along with day and date.”
The Chief Medical Officers have been asked to ensure that the applicants do not face any difficulties during the process and ensure a seamless and expedited certification.
The online applications can be applied for through swavlambancard.gov.in. The order has been issued by Dr Shafqat Khan, Officer on Special Duty, H&ME Department. He said the department had received grievances regarding the tiresome and long process of disability certification.
“People, despite having disabilities, had to make multiple visits to hospitals and to the various specialists located in various hospitals,” he said. He added that the new mechanism would help in easing their difficulties.
“It is the duty of the department to certify disabilities, not a favor to the applicant,” he said.