The premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been instructed by the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to ensure ‘complete accessibility and all other necessary facilities for persons with disabilities in its entire campus.
The Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Upma Srivastava, said though the AIIMS authorities have made some progress made in improving infrastructure in the premier health institute, yet some areas needed to be looked into.
The order specifically mentioned the hostels, faculty department washrooms, board room, private ward 1, ultrasonography room, an ATM outside the boys hostel which had accessibility issues.
The court also recommended, “urgent action” under sections 40, 41, and 42 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 to ensure that the entire campus was made completely accessible.
The complaint in the matter was filed by disability rights activist Satendra Singh, who is also an associate professor of physiology at University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, on April 18, 2018.
In its order, the Commissioner wrote that Singh, who was the founder of Infinite Ability (a disability group) had filed a complaint regarding inaccessibility at AIIMS, “especially the B.B. Dixit Library, Centre for Medical Education and Technology and the toilets.”
In its reply, AIIMS submitted that its building infrastructure is over 70 years old, and “with the hospital in operation, it becomes a daunting task” to convert the existing buildings into ones accessible to persons with disabilities.
Still, the order said, “AIIMS had already initiated action for conducting fresh accessibility audit of OPD block, emergency block, and Dr. R.P. Centre to begin with”. It added that when it comes to the B.B. Dixit Library, access for students with disabilities was through the ground floor gate.
Also, while noting that “in phases, certain areas were made accessible by modification of the existing building despite its constraints,” the order stated that “new buildings at AIIMS have been ensured accessibility”.
