Doctor dream: Candidate finds support

NEW DELHI: After TOI highlighted on Thursday how the MBBS admission of a candidate suffering from haemophilia A was cancelled by Delhi University (DU), Hemophilia Federation (India) has written to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) saying the practice of recertification is wrong. A similar letter is also sent by National Thalassemia Welfare Society urging DGHS to pass directives to the medical colleges to comply with the certification approved by the directorate.

Disabilities due to three blood disorders — haemophilia, thalassemia and sickle cell disease — are considered benchmark disabilities in the new Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and 5% reservation in higher education are given to the people with haematological disabilities, National Thalassemia Welfare Society wrote to DGHS.

“This unnecessary board assessment for candidates with haematological disabilities is unjustified, causes harassment to the candidates and also not in compliance with the DGHS guidelines,” it said. Nothing empowers DU to reverse and annul the reservation and eligibility criteria for persons with benchmark disability under the Act, the society claimed.

Faculty of Medical Science (FMS) of DU declared Mahesh Kumar, battling haemophilia A, ineligible under the persons with disability category and cancelled his admission on August 2.

Kumar had to face the ordeal despite Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjang Hospital, one of the four designated certification centres for admission for medical/dental courses under the all-India quota, certifying him as “suffering from severe haemophilia A” with 40-50% disability. He had also submitted a certificate from Army Hosiptal R&R Delhi Cantt, which marked his disability at 70%.

Terming the incident as discriminatory and a matter of concern for the entire haemophilia community, the president of Hemophilia Federation (India), Vikash C Goyal, urged DGHS to pass directives to the medical institutions not to harass candidates with all 21 benchmark disabilities.

Kumar’s admission has been “cancelled by a medical board constituted by FMS at Maulana Azad Medical College without any physical examination”. DGHS, he said, is the final authority in this case but its certificate was questioned by FMS, leading to the cancellation of the candidature.