Disability rights organisations have decided to lay an indefinite siege to the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) in Teynampet, Chennai from January 18 onwards.
The move comes after a stand off between doctors and disability rights activists in Tiruvannamalai over issuing of disability certificates.
According to a press release, the siege was to demand the implementation of a 2011 government order, the implementation of the 2001 Central government guidelines on disability assessment and certification and for the training of doctors in certification of disabilities.
The G.O states that for persons with locomotor disabilities by way of amputation or complete permanent paralysis of limbs, medical practitioners at primary health centres too, can certify the disability. The release states that the Tiruvannamalai incident, which led to an agitation by doctors and the arrest of an activist, was an ugly indication of the attitude of the administration towards the disabled.
T.M.N. Deepak, State president of December 3 movement, said they also wanted all disability certificates to have certificate numbers and lay out a cumulative calculation of the percentage of disability. The siege will continue till the demands are met, the press release said.
