For PGI’s disabled staff, going to work a challenge

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 4

Going to work is a challenge for nearly 100 differently abled employees of the PGI. These employees expressed their grouse during a blood donation camp organised to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Satyaveer Dagur, president of the PGI Differently Abled Employees Union, said due to poor infrastructure, the differently abled persons working or visiting the hospital faced a tough time.

 He said there were no lifts and ramps in the administrative block and differently abled employees had to climb all the way to the fourth floor to get their work done.

“Though a ramp has been constructed near the back door, it is a mere eyewash and leads to the Director’s office in the administrative block. One can see differently abled employees coming down the stairs with great difficulty,” said Satyaveer.

He said besides the administrative block, there was an urgent need for ramps and lifts at the PGI library, the National Institute of Nursing Education (NINE) and the School of Public Health.

He said recently a delegation had met PGI Director Jagat Ram and had handed over a memorandum to him for making the institute disabled-friendly.

“The project to construct ramps and escalators was approved by the director, but the file is now stuck with the engineering department,” said Satyaveer.

He said at some places, parking for the differently had been notified, but the guidelines  were not being followed.

Man who brought the change

Satyaveer, who is differently abled, got the job nearly 11 years ago under the general category.

“After joining the job, I observed that the premier institute did not offer facilities for the differently abled. In 2010, I began raising issues pertaining to the differently abled and job reservation in the institute. I pressed the authorities to construct disabled-friendly infrastructure,” said Satyaveer.

In 2014, he formed the Differently Abled Employees Union. His efforts bore fruit as besides relaxation of 5 per cent marks, the differently abled are now being offered admission forms free of cost.