DU cancels medical admission of Hemophilia patient, Associations see Red

New Delhi The cancellation of admission of a student suffering from Hemophilia A at the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) by the Delhi University has had the Hemophilia Federation (India) on the alert. The body has written to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) terming the practice of recertification as 'wrong'. A similar point of view was also expressed by the National Thalassemia Welfare Society that demanded that the DGHS to pass directions to medical colleges to stand by the certification provided for the disability by the Directorate.

The above reiteration by the Societies came in the face of the Faculty of Medical Science (FMS) of DU declaring Mahesh Kumar, a dental student at UCMS, battling haemophilia A, ineligible under the persons with disability category and cancelling his admission on August 2.

A patient of Haemophilia A, Mahesh Kumar had to face the pain of withdrawal of admission, despite the Safdarjang Hospital and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College( one of four designated certification centres)certifying him for admission to medical/dental courses under the all-India quota. The certification granted to him was that of "suffering from severe haemophilia A" with 40-50% disability. Further, still, a certificate from the Army Hospital R&R, Delhi Cantt had also marked his disability at 70%.

Interestingly, the UCMS disability quota student Mahesh Kumar's admission had been "cancelled by a medical board constituted by FMS at Maulana Azad Medical College without any physical examination" state media reports.

The Thalassemia Society emphasized that the Delhi University was not empowered to either reverse or annul the reservation and eligibility criteria for persons with benchmark disability under the Act.

"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.

The President, Hemophilia Federation (India), Vikash C Goyal speaking to the TOI termed the incident as discriminatory Mr Goyal reaffirmed that DGHS, is the final authority in this case and was disturbed due to the cancellation of the certificate rendered by it, by the FMS, which resulted in admission cancellation.

According to Kumar's father, Bhoop Singh Gurjar, a havildar with Indian Army, "Twenty-two days after the admission, we were asked to come for the verification of the disability and we submitted the certificates. On August 3, a day after his admission was cancelled, I reached Delhi from Kolkata and was told by the college that it has received a communication from FMS that Mahesh is ineligible."

"My son was not physically examined, so how can the university override the disability certificate given by a body which regulates medical education in India?" he said to the Indian Express

S K Dogra, Deputy Registrar, FMS told TOI that medical colleges set up their own medical boards after admissions for certificate verification. "The decision was communicated to MAMC after post-admission verification by the medical board," he said.

The DGHS however, denied any instruction having been issued for a repeat medical examination. "The direction has been that all admissions should be on the basis of certification by the four designated centres. If MAMC had set up a separate board, hope that is within the MCI guidelines," the body reaffirmed.

Dr S Ramji, Dean MAMC, commented: "Admissions are done by Delhi University, not by the college."

Student Mahesh Kumar further claimed that an application had also been submitted to MAMC by him for a medical examination and certification as a government certificate is required to apply for the NEET exam. However, he did not hear from the college he confirmed.