DRAG demands action against senior matrons of GMC

Rudely behaving with person with disability during his visit in hospital to see ailing grandmother
Person with disabilities
Person with disabilities

PANAJI: The Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has demanded action against senior matrons of Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim for discriminating towards persons with disability and to issue directions to all GMC staff not to repeat such incidents. On Saturday morning, Vishant Nagvekar, a person with disability had visited GMC, Bambolim to see his ailing grandmother. Being 75 per cent person with disabilities, he used his own wheelchair to visit the ward, however, two senior matrons on duty, objected him from entering the ward on wheelchair and rudely confronted him to leave the ward immediately. Besides, both of them ordered the women security personnel to restrict him from entering the ward, while all other patients’ multiple visitors were freely moving in and out of the ward during the given time. "The senior matrons restricted my movement within the ward only because of my disabilities and for being a wheelchair user which is an offence under Chapter II of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (Central Act)," Nagvekar said in his complaint to the GMC Dean. According to Nagvekar, the provision of mandatory reserved parking at entry points of the GMC building were not maintained. However, reserved parking for doctors and VIPs maintained close to every entrance of the GMC, thus creating discrimination and thereby barring the free and accessible entry of the disabled; may it be self-treatment or treatment of the dear ones. He urged the authorities to provide reserved parking for the persons with disabilities close to every entry points of the GMC. Nagvekar also requested the GMC authorities to make all the toilets/washrooms accessible to the patients as well as to the persons with disabilities. Taking strong cognisance of the complaint of discrimination and lack of accessible facilities for persons with disabilities at the GMC, the DRAG demanded that memo be issued to senior matrons for discrimination towards persons with disability and to direct all staff that such incidents of discrimination towards persons with disability should not be repeated. It also demanded reservation of parking slots for persons with disability outside every building of Goa Medical College; accessible toilets for persons with disability; separate queues for persons with disability at registration and OPD counters. In a letter submitted to the GMC Dean, the DRAG has sought compliance report within 15 days of the letter. However, GMC Dean Dr S M Bandekar was not available for comments.

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