Centre ready to issue ‘Universal Identity’ cards for persons with disabilities: Gehlot

IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 5: Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot on Saturday announced that the Central Government is ready to issue ‘Universal Identity’ cards for the persons with disabilities (PWD) so that they take the necessary opportunities by using the new cards.

Gehlot was in Imphal to inaugurate the largest number of hearing aids distribution programme to PWD at a single location within eight hours in an attempt to enter in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Stating that the population of the PWD in India is about 2.68 crores as per 2011 census, the visiting minister also stressed the need to look into the grievances of the PWD in the country.
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, who also attended the day’s function along with the state health minister DK Korungthang and his senior officials, also informed the gathering that Manipur has been utilising around 4 percent of the gross state domestic products (which is 2 percent higher than the bigger state such a Gujarat)in the health sector of the state.
As a result the state proudly maintains the top position in the country regarding infant survival, he added.
In today’s programme, about 3911 hearing aids and assistive devices were distributed to the persons with disabilities at a single location within eight hours.
Earlier Gujarat creates the world record with ‘Most people fitted with Hearing Aid’ in 8 hours at a single location (600 Hearing Aid) during their record attempt on September 17 this year.
In fact the state health department attempted to distribute as many as 6,464 hearing impaired persons in the day’s Distribution of Aids and Assistive Devices to Persons with Disabilities (DIVYANGJAN) held at the indoor stadium at Khuman Lampak sports complex in Imphal. The distribution started from 8.45am and concluded at 4.45pm, reports said.
The day’s distribution programme is being organised by the Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness, National Health Mission, Manipur in collaboration with Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJ&E) and the Government of India, according to Commissioner for Health and Family Welfare and Information Technology PK Singh.
The department which targets to provide free hearing aids to needy persons (6,464) who were identified during the 49 camps that conducted across the State under the National Health Mission, says PK Singh. During the said camps, more than 12,000 patients were screened.The total cost of the hearing (about Rs 4.44 crore) is all borne by ALIMCO.