Authorities launch investigation into the suspicious applications submitted to hospitals in Pune and Ahmednagar
PUNE: The health department should ascertain if
erroneous information
was furnished by
IAS probationer
Puja Khedkar to the
medical committee
of experts in her application form to the
Yeshwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital
(YCMH) in
Pimpri
to procure a locomotor disability certificate, said disability commissioner
Pravin Puri
on Wednesday.
"I will write to the health services department to
investigate
the matter and request that they check all her applications submitted to both Pune and Ahmednagar hospitals and how she obtained the certificates.
A suitable inquiry must be conducted before initiating action against the applicant," Puri said.
Puri said he had already contacted the Pune district collector and police commissioner, requesting them to investigate the allegations of
fake disability documents
. Their reports are awaited and action will follow, said Puri.
TOI on Tuesday reported that Khedkar had in Aug 2022 simultaneously applied for disability certificates for locomotor disability from
District Civil Hospital
in Aundh here and Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital in Pimpri, which is in neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad.
She did so despite having secured disability certificates for low vision in 2018 and for mental depression and low vision in 2021 from Ahmednagar district hospital.
District Civil Hospital in Aundh rejected her request because of "double submission" while YCMH granted her a 7% locomotor disability certificate on August 24, 2022 and stated the cause of the disability as stemming from an accident.
In her application form to YCMH, which asks if the applicant has obtained any disability certificate prior to her current application, Puja has replied with a "no".
Dean of YCMH Dr Rajendra Wable said as a process, the hospital carries out a fresh assessment for any application it receives even if there has been an earlier certification.
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