COIMBATORE: Inpatients and their attendants at hospitals are demanding the introduction of absentee voting facilities, which will allow voters who cannot physically reach their designated polling booths on election day to cast their votes.
Patients and attendants at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) pointed out that the hospital currently has around 1,200 inpatients. With each patient accompanied by at least one attendant, the total number of potential voters at the hospital exceeds 2,500.
Similar situations exist across hundreds of government and private medical facilities in every district. They urged the Election Commission to consider options such as postal ballots or mobile voting booths for such cases. They requested that these provisions be introduced at least for future elections.
As an immediate measure, they suggested setting up temporary polling booths in a safe, accessible location near hospital premises (wherever possible) so that attendants and patients can vote without leaving the hospital vicinity.
"Postal voting is currently restricted to specific categories like armed forces personnel, government employees, senior citizens above 85 years, and persons with disabilities. There is no general absentee voting system in place. This makes it extremely difficult for many people admitted in hospitals," said M Shobana Devi, a PhD scholar from Pollachi.
"I am here to take care of my mother who has undergone cardiac surgery. My village is not very far, but I cannot leave her alone. If there was a provision for postal voting or hospital-based voting or nearby for people stuck in medical emergencies, it would help thousands like us," she added.
Similarly, M Shanmuganathan (42), a patient from Tiruppur district and an active political worker, also expressed disappointment. "I was actively involved in election campaigning until a week ago. Now, I am admitted here for treatment. I brought all necessary documents hoping to avail the postal ballot facility, but the hospital staff said no such option is given for patients. If my health permits, I am ready to go anywhere to vote.
However, setting up mobile polling booths at or near hospital premises would allow many patients and their attendants to cast their votes."
He said that while even smaller hospitals handle at least 100 inpatients, large multi-specialty and super-specialty hospitals often have over 1,000 patients at a time. Most inpatients are accompanied by family members who also stay with them on Election Day leaving their voting right underutilised.
The demand was also raised at the recent all-party meeting convened by the Election Commission at the Coimbatore Collectorate, where several political parties proposed voting facilities for inpatients and their attendants.
R Vellai Nataraj, a member of the Healthcare Beneficiaries Welfare Committee at the Government District Headquarters Hospital, Coimbatore, said that many countries have successfully implemented absentee voting systems. "In Coimbatore district alone, there are around 3,000 inpatients in government hospitals, and several thousand more in private hospitals. While we add their attendants huge number of voters is unable to cast their votes in every election. Practical challenges involved in it but the issue cannot be ignored," he said.
"During the Covid-19 pandemic, several states made special arrangements for patients to vote, but it was held at the common polling booths. Similarly, the Election Commission can set up secure mobile polling booths near hospitals in the future," he added.
When asked, a senior official from the Election Cell said "We have received this demand from many political parties. The election commission should take decision on it. Moreover offering voting provisions to the admitted patients is not easily implementable."