A plan to get permanent disability certificates issued for Sickle-Cell Disease patients above the age of 5 years has been stuck in a quagmire between three Union Ministries for nearly three years. In a report tabled during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, a House panel urged the government to get a move on it.
The Health Ministry is responsible for determining the criteria and rules for disability certificates, while the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry actually issues the certificates, which are required for availing reservations and other scheme benefits. Given that Sickle Cell Disease, a debilitating genetic blood disorder, is especially prevalent among tribal populations across India, the Tribal Affairs Ministry is keen to ensure that the certificates are issued to SCD patients, who suffer from chronic anemia, painful events, and complications due to associated tissue and organ damage, all caused by the destruction of the membranes of red blood cells.
The Union government has been publicising its campaign to “eradicate” SCD in India by 2047. There is little relief, however, for current patients, who are only eligible for disability certificates with a three-year validity, despite the chronic and progressive nature of their disease.
