March 17, 2019
Some relief for Dr Mohammed Shaloo after the Medical
Council of India (MCI) issued a fresh notification on Friday saying
that students with locomotor disability of above 80% are eligible to be
admitted into post graduate degress like MD and MS.
Dr Shaloo, a practicing doctor for over two years with a 90% disability, had
dragged the MCI to court over its previous guidelines that barred MBBS
doctors with a disability of over 80% from doing further specialization
In response the MCI has come out with a new guideline, this one however
provides relief only to students with locomotor disabilities and that too
above 80%.
Dr Shaloo, who has post residual polio paralysis told NewzHook he is relieved
and happy. “This is certainly good news for me, and I am going to get
myself tested again at one of the listed government facilities on Monday.
Hopefully, now I can pursue my dreams of specialization”.
However, those hopeful for any sign of a larger change in mindset towards the
better are bound to be disappointed because the MCI’s latest guideline
says, “PwD candidates who were earlier found ineligible, because their
Locomotor Disability was greater than 90%, should get themselves
reassessed..and obtain a fresh disability certificate”.
The relief, as Dr Satendra Singh points out is superficial
and nowhere close to meeting the demands he has raised in a separate petition
challenging the MCI guidelines for PG and undergraduate medical admissions.
The relief is superficial as it is only for people with locomotor
disability, that too above 80%. They have come up with a new number now –
90%. The other points that I raised in my petition before the court have
not been addressed. It also states that candidate with 80% disability have
to report again for a test. despite all the drama the so called
“experts” board at Safdarjung Hospital could not arrive at the correct
percentage What is above 80%??? – Dr Satendra Singh, Disability
rights activist
This means candidates like Dr Anjani Bala, whose story
NewzHook highlighted earlier this week may have to travel to another city to
be tested yet again. Dr Bala, like Dr Shaloo, has a locomotor disability. She
has finished her MBBS and cleared the post graduate entrance exam but was
declared ineligible. “Safdarjung Hospital gave Dr Bala a more than 80%
disability certificate, so it is not clear whether or not she has to come for
a test again”, says Dr Singh.
Dr Bala, who is based in Ranchi, and has a two-week old baby is unsure if she
will be able to travel to New Delhi or Kolkata where the testing centres are
located. “I am happy but still trying to figure out what to do. I have
spent a lot of money flying to Delhi for the first test and to go through the
whole thing again is very hard”.
Looks like this time too, the MCI’s approach is to open one door and close
four others for disabled medical aspirants.
ALSO READ:Discriminatory medical admission guidelines regarding disabled
aspirants crush this Ranchi doctor’s dream
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21699
