No disability certificates for MS patients in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: In December last year, the government of Telangana state issued close to 25 lakh unique disability ID (UDID) cards to people with disabilities. However, those afflicted with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Hyderabad, and across the state, are going from pillar to post just to get a disability certificate from the department of welfare of disabled and senior citizens.

There are 135 active members who are a part of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India’s (MSSI’s) Hyderabad chapter, who say that there are many more patients that go undetected due to the lack of awareness of the disease.

“We have been going around the department, asking for a disability certificate, which has not been given till date. Multiple sclerosis has no treatment. It has still not been discovered why this disease strikes some people.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are only asked to manage their symptoms using disease-modifying-drugs,” Ms Meena Gupta, founder member, MSSI Hyderabad, told this newspaper.

When contacted, officials of the department said that they were “working on the matter” and would soon issue the certificates to MSPs.

“The government asks for a certain percentage of disability to issue a certificate. This is tricky for a person with MS because the disability percentage is variable. During times of remission, the disease could be next to zero. But when there is a relapse, the disease range could go up to 90 per cent,” said Ms Dimple, an MSP from the city.

MS is largely underreported
If these certificates are handed over to MS patients, then they would be entitled to educational scholarship schemes, rebate in income tax, reservation in government jobs, free travel in state buses, loans for setting up businesses and more.

“This disease is largely underreported and there are no definitive ways to identify the disease, unless one undergoes a battery of diagnostic tests. These tests are neither subsidised nor done for free, which takes a toll on the finances of those already affected by MS,” she said.

A usual dose of drugs goes for Rs 27,000 per strip, which lasts the patient a week. If not, then the more aggressive form of treatment is needed, which is through injections, and the costs go up to nearly Rs 1 lakh, which is meant to be taken once a month. “Taking a medical insurance after diagnosis of the disease is a waste, as the cover only kicks in after four years. It is better if one starts saving money for treatment, otherwise you are at the mercy of random drugs, which will treat individual symptoms and not the disease as a whole,” said another MSP, requesting anonymity.