THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While doctors are used to being hounded by patients seeking medical certificates for a number of reasons from getting approval for a sick leave to filing a law suit, renowned oncologist Dr Boben Thomas was rather stunned by a request raised by one of his regular patients. The doctor was asked to issue a medical certificate for the patient’s car, in what he says is the first such incident he has experienced.
According to Dr Boben, the patient had rung him up with a request for a medical certificate that confirms the date of his consultation, because he needed to submit the certificate to a leading insurance company. The patient subsequently explained to the puzzled doctor that he got into an accident while returning home after the consultation, and when he approached the insurance company for damages, he was asked why the vehicle was on road when a statewide lockdown was in force. The medical certificate was to prove that the accident happened while he was travelling for a medical reason.
Dr Boben, who practises in Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram, told TNIE that this was the first time someone approached him for a medical certificate for the purpose of collecting vehicle insurance. “As the certificate was a logical requirement, it was issued stating that the patient had arrived in the vehicle,” he said. He also shared his experience on Facebook.
Meanwhile, a senior officer working with a vehicle insurance company confirmed that they would definitely ask for such certificates if the situation called for it. “We have the authority to ask the owner why the vehicle was taken out during the lockdown period. If it is a genuine case of medical emergency, we will ask for a medical certificate to prove if he used the car for that purpose. Some companies may ask for Out Patient (OP) tickets too. We could give a claim only if the person was out and about for an emergency requirement,” the officer said.