The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Another way of getting life certificates

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Tuesday, Jun 23, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Another way of getting life certificates

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI: When it became difficult for 95-year-old Narayana Murthy to move around, his daughter N. Lalitha wondered how to get a life certificate, an important document that pensioners need to submit every year to continue drawing pension.

Mr. Murthy retired from the State Horticulture Department. “Until last year I used to take him to the Pension Pay Office to submit the life certificate. But this year, he is unable to move. He cannot sit for long time in the car. I was a bit worried, as I had to get the certificate attested by a gazetted officer if my father cannot be there in person,” said Ms.Lalitha.

It was then, she learnt about geriatrician V.S.Natarajan’s house call programme. “I approached him and the very next day he sent a doctor, who checked my father and issued a certificate,” she said. Dr. Natarajan said, issuing a life certificate was just another step in the geriatric house call programme, which he launched about 18 months ago.

“About a month ago, we had a call fro, Mr. Narayana Murthy’s daughter and we sent Dr. Shanthi from Anna Nagar, to her residence as the certificate should be given by a gazetted officer. Dr. Shanthi is a government medical officer and could do the needful,” he said.

Doctors in the house call programme have also been called upon to certify death. In the last six months, ten death certificates have been issued by them. The service was started to help the bereaved families. “We charge a nominal rate, less than what is charged for a house call. We did not charge anything for seven or eight cases,” Dr. Natarajan said.

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