Tamil Nadu   

Government launches special aid scheme for differently-abled persons

Special Correspondent

It offers financial support to the extent of Rs. 15,000

CUDDALORE: With the financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank, the Tamil Nadu Government has launched a special scheme for the differently-abled persons in the tsunami-affected Cuddalore district.

The scheme offers financial support to the extent of Rs. 15,000, with a subsidy component of Rs. 10,000. The balance of Rs. 5,000 comes as a loan with a nominal interest rate of 4 per cent.

The scheme has become an attractive proposition to the differently-abled people whose number has so far crossed 10,000. Still, a large number of such people are turning up at government hospitals to get the certificate on their physical status. The sudden turnout of so many differently-abled people has hit the regular medical services in government hospitals. With the limited manpower at their disposal, the government hospitals are finding it difficult to cope with the demand, leading at times to even road roko by the aggrieved persons.

Joint Director of Medical Services (in-charge) N. Raja told The Hindu that the issue of certificates to the differently-abled that started two months ago was still continuing. They were being examined by a team of doctors to assess various disabilities and after due verification they were given the certificates.

Dr. Raja said there were many claimants with cleft lips and palates, club-foot, hole in the heart, kidney ailments and so on who could be cured and hence would not qualify for the certificate.

Given the huge turnout of the differently-abled persons, a majority of them were physically handicapped and mentally challenged, the need had arisen to compile a complete data on them, he said.

There were also cases of deception in which persons would pretend to be hard of hearing and they were subjected to audiogram testing before arriving at any conclusion.

Having realised the problem of handling so many candidates, now the task was being shared by the government hospitals at Vriddhachalam on Tuesdays, Cuddalore on Wednesdays and at Chidambaram on Thursdays.

Dr. Raja further said already doctors were busy issuing certificates to students for their academic pursuit. Therefore, the available workforce was judiciously put to use for the special camps without affecting the routine works in government hospitals, and it required a lot of balancing act, he added.

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