Disabled bear brunt as health portal hit by ‘technical errors’
Over 100 persons suffering from different ailments have been moving from pillar to post for the past four months to get disability certificates from the office of the local Medical Superintendent (MS).
Despite repeated visits to the office of the MS, Palampur, these disabled persons have failed to get their disability certificate due to “technical errors” in the functioning of the Unique Document Identification Number (UDIN) portal .
“Despite being handicapped, we have to go all the way to the MS, Palampur, to submit our forms. After we arrived at the office, we came to know that due to certain changes in the UDIN portal, the state government had yet to approve the digital signature of the MS, who is the issuing authority. The matter has been pending in the office of the Director of Health Services, Himachal Pradesh, in Shimla for the past six months. We were time and again directed to come again when the MS office gets approval from Shimla. Many people have failed to get jobs in the absence of the disability certificates despite the fact they had the required disabilities to get job under the disability quota. They regretted that this was not fair as the handicapped were dependent on someone. A majority of them are not even able to walk or travel in a bus. Even then the authorities want them to make repeated visits to the office of the MS, Palampur,” said a number of handicapped persons while talking to The Tribune today.
They said the department should start making certificates of the disabled by visiting their homes. “The disabled should be registered the same way as the voter cards are made so that they could get their certificates in a similar procedure.”
Dr Meenakshi Gupta, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Palampur, said the Government of India had made certain changes in the UDIN portal in May, authorising the MS to issue such certificates. However since then, her office had been facing problems in issuing the certificates due to some technical errors in uploading the forms and downloading of certificates. She said she had apprised the higher authorities of the matter. Hopefully, the UDIN portal would be operational in the next two days, she hoped.
‘Problem likely to be over in 2 days’
The office has been facing problems in issuing the certificates due to some technical errors in uploading forms and downloading certificates. I have apprised the higher authorities of the matter. Hopefully, the UDIN portal will be operational in the next two days. - Dr Meenakshi Gupta, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Palampur
