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Government of India
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
06-January-2011 16:48 IST
Simplification and Streamlining the Procedure for Issue of Disability Certificates to the Persons with Disabilities
Annexure II

 

                        Disability Certificate is an essential document for the Persons with Disabilities to avail benefits under various schemes and concessions from the Government. Disability Certificates are issued by three-member Medical Boards constituted at the District level, involving a cumbersome and time consuming procedure making access to the certificates difficult. Only, about 35% of persons with disabilities had been issued disability certificates as in October, 2010.

            The Central Government amended the (Central) Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Rules in December, 2009. The amended Rules enable simplified and decentralized procedure for issuance of Disability Certificate.  The amended Rules replace "Medical Board" by "Medical Authorities", to be notified by the appropriate government. The disability certificate is to be issued as far as possible, within seven days from the date of receipt of application but in any case not later than 1 month. Provision for review of the decision regarding the issuance or otherwise of the certificates has also been incorporated.        

            Pursuant to the amendment to the Central Persons with Disability  Rules, guidelines were issued to State Governments in February, last year to effect suitable changes in their Rules and notify the Medical Authority.  In the guidelines, multi-tier medical authorities have been suggested so that in respect of obvious disabilities, the disability certificate can be issued at the level of Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), and Hospitals at the Sub-Divisional level, in case of non-obvious single disabilities, certificates can be issued by a single specialist and only in case of multiple disabilities, a multi member board would be required to issue the certificate. In addition, provisions have been made for taking services of non-government specialists and testing facilities in case these are not available in government hospitals.

            Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have since issued notification for medical authorities for Central Government Hospitals/Institutes for issuing disability certificates for various kind of disabilities. List of notified medical authorities is given below. So far the State Governments of Bihar, Goa and Gujarat have already issued notification appointing medical authorities and simplifying procedure. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is pursuing the matter with the remaining State Governments.


 

Medical Authorities notified for Central Government Hospitals/Institutes for issue of Disability Certificates for various kind of Disabilities

 

S. No.

Type of Disability

Hospital/Institution which is being specified as the “Medical Authority” for the purpose of the disability mentioned in Col.2

Medical Officer working in the Hospital/ Institution mentioned in Col.3 who would  be competent to issue certificate of disability

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

1.

Locomotors  & Leprosy cured disability

1.       All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mumbai

Specialist working on regular basis in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR)/ *Orthopedics

2.       Dr. R.M.L. Hospital, New Delhi

3.       Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi

4.       Lady Harding Medical College and associated S.K. Hospital and Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi

5.       All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

6.       Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry.

7.       Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh

8.       National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka

9.       Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur

10.   North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and Mecial Sciences, Shillong, Mehgalaya

2.

Hearing Impairment
  1. All  India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore

Specialist working on regular basis in the field of ENT
  1. Dr. R.M.L. Hospital, New Delhi
  1. Sardarjung Hospital, New Delhi
  1. Lady Harding Medical College and associated S.K. Hospital and Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi

 

 
  1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

 
  1. Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry
  1. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
  1. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka
  1. Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur
  1. North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya

3.

Mental Illness and mental retardation

1.       Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi

Specialist working on regular basis in the field of Psychiatry

2.       Dr. R.M.L. Hospital, New Delhi

3.       Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi

4.       Lady Harding Medical College and associated S.K. Hospital and Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi

5.       All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

6.       Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry

7.       Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh

8.       National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka

9.       Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur

10.   North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and  Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya

4.

Blindness & Low  Vision

1         Dr. R.M.L.Hospital, New Delhi

Specialist working ofnregular basis in the field of Ophthalmology

2         Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi

3         Lady Harding Medical College and associated S.K. Hospital and Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi

4         All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

5         Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry

6         Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh

7         National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka

8         Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur

9         North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and  Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya

5.

Multiple Disability

1         Dr. R.M.L.Hospital, New Delhi

A Medical Board comprising of one Chairman and three members as per following details:

 

One Specialist each from the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR)/ *Orthopedics, ENT, Psychiatry and Ophthalmology.

 

The senior most specialist shall be the chairman of the Board

2         Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi

3         Lady Harding Medical College and associated S.K. Hospital and Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi

4         All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Mumbai

5         All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

6         Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry

7         Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh

8         National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka

9         Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur

10     North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and  Medical Sciences, Shillong, Meghalaya

 

Review Board:

 

A Review Board is notified at each of the Hospital/Institute, Mentioned in Column 3 of the table above, to consider applications for review of disability certificates issued or refusal to issue such a certificate.  The Review Board shall consist of Head of Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR)/* Orthopedics, ENT, Ophthalmology and Psychiatry.  No member of the Review Board shall be the Specialist or a chairman/member of the Review Board shall be the Head of Department, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR)/*Orthopedics

 

VBA/