SHIVAMOGGA: As there has been an inordinate delay in issuing Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards, over 6,000 differently-abled people in Shivamogga district are waiting for months to get benefits under various government schemes. The Department of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens said pending medical assessments of the disabled is causing the delay.
In Shivamogga district, which stands 24th in the state in issuing UDID cards, only 41.80 per cent of the targeted distribution of ID cards has been achieved. Of the 20,585 applications received, 8,811 ID cards have been issued, 6,635 are pending, 3,535 were not verified and 231 were not accepted, data from the department revealed.
Some applicants have their medical assessment certificates, but are still struggling to get their UDID cards. Rekha (name changed), who is differently abled, told The New Indian Express that when they visit hospitals, doctors refuse to issue them certificates, and instead offer to treat them.
‘We cannot avail benefits without UDID cards’
Rekha said, “Without UDID cards, we cannot avail of any government benefits. When we go to hospitals to get medical certificates, we are told to come on a particular day. When we reach at the appointed time, doctors remain absent. Many of us are tired of waiting. The government should resolve these problems.”
District Disabled Welfare Officer Shilpa M Doddamani said that UDID cards, which were introduced in 2019, are issued by an agency Chennai and it has been contracted to cover the differently-abled population of the entire country.
Village Rehabilitation Workers (VRW) at the panchayat level are helping the disabled get medical certificates, but doctors are not available at many places. Doddamani said many districts are conducting health camps to issue medical certificates and she has written to the District Health Officer to conduct similar camps in Shivamogga.
“The health department said they will let us know the dates, but there has been no communication after that. We are planning to hold camps in two taluks every Tuesday. The disabled, who have been waiting for months for their ID cards, keep visiting our offices to enquire about the status of their cards. Regional centres should be allowed to issue these cards, and this will avoid long travels for the disabled,” Doddamani said.
DHO Dr Rajesh Suragihalli said all taluk and district hospitals have been given the authority to issue medical certificates. “There could be some delay in uploading the assessment data, though orders have been given to do it daily. I will check the status of pending applications and consider the suggestion of health camps,” he added.