Right of Persons with Disabilities Act: Sought guidelines from DGHS to set up special medical board, says DMER to HC

A petition was filed by Dr Faisal Ahmed Juned Pokar, 24, from Bhiwandi, through his lawyer Pooja Thorat. He has questioned whether AIIPMR is an institute, which provides services only for persons with locomotor disabilities.

| Mumbai | Published: April 5, 2018 6:08:46 am

The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that it has written to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), New Delhi, asking about guidelines for setting up a special medical board as per the provisions in Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

This, the state government told the court, will enable it to establish the special medical board for assessing the disability of PWD (persons with disabilities) candidates, seeking admission to medical post graduate courses in the academic year 2018-2019. The court said it will hear the matter after one week.

A letter was submitted by DMER to the court, stating that the candidates with 21 disabilities, included in The Rights of Person with Disabilities Act, 2016, are facing difficulties in obtaining disability certificates from four centers authorised by Medical Counseling Committee, New Delhi. On Tuesday, the DMER also requested the DGHS, New Delhi, to allow them fill the seats reserved for PWD candidates during second round of state counseling for PG Medical courses.

A medical student had approached Bombay HC, questioning the state government in appointing All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AIIPMR) as a medical board to assess Intellectual Disability (ID) for the purpose of admission to postgraduate courses, under the PWD quota. A petition was filed by Dr Faisal Ahmed Juned Pokar, 24, from Bhiwandi, through his lawyer Pooja Thorat. He has questioned whether AIIPMR is an institute, which provides services only for persons with locomotor disabilities.

Pokar was seeking a medical certificate for his PG course, when he approached the enlisted institute for assessment of his disability at the AIIPMR. The institute informed Porkar that their centre is authorised for assessment only for locomotor disabilities and therefore they cannot issue a certificate to a candidate with ID.