Student running pillar to post for fitness certificate

Nagpur: A stranded persons can theoretically get a fitness certificate for their travel back home from a municipal clinic in the city. But locating the right one may not be easy. They have to go to the clinic assigned to the municipal zone where the person lives. The facility is open only for three hours between 9 am and 12 noon.
On Wednesday Bhavika Rathod, a student from Jharsuguda in Odisha, struggled to get a fitness certificate for travelling out of Nagpur. She was referred from one hospital to another with no success.
In the city for seven months undergoing coaching for an entrance examination, she is now a stranded person. After making an online application to travel out, she needs to keep a fitness certificate ready.
As her father has completed all formalities to drive down from Jharsuguda and take her back, Bhavika struggles to get clearances from Nagpur. She can’t leave without clearance documents and the first step for it is getting a fitness certificate.
As people crowded the Mayo Hospital (IGGMC) and Government Medical College, orders were issued that health check-ups of stranded persons will only be done at NMC’s clinics. Private registered medical practioners were also given authority to issue a certificate.
Bhavika first went to the Indira Gandhi Hospital at Daga Layout, which is closest to her house in Gandhi Nagar Corporation colony but was turned away. The staff asked her to go to the NMC clinics. She reached the clinic at Laxmi Nagar zone only to be tossed away.
“I went to the Indira Gandhi hospital because that was closest and an NMC hospital, where they told me to reach the hospital under Laxmi Nagar zone. These are at Jaitala and Somalwada. When I called up there, I was told my house comes under Dharampeth zone, which has a hospital in Futala. By the time I called up the hospital it was 12 and was asked to come next day,” Bhavika told TOI.
“Even before I could ask them the exact location, the staff cut the phone,” she said.
The list issued by the NMC only names the zones and the address of hospital under it. Each zone covers a number of localities. A newcomer may find it tough to even identify the zone under which his house comes.
Assistant NMC commissioner, Ram Joshi confirmed that the residents will have to only go to the hospital under their zone as he shared the list with TOI. NMC’s medical officer (health), Dr Praveen Gantawar also said private practioners could issue certificate by following the laid down procedure.
Dr Kush Jhunjhunwala, president of Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Nagpur unit, said the private doctors were aware of that and are carrying out check-ups too.