Mandatory Aadhaar for newborn at Bhopal hospital leaves parents in a fix
The stipulation at a hospital in Bhopal to make an Aadhaar card for a newborn before discharge has put parents in trouble as the names given at birth are often changed later.
Sultania Zanana Hospital, one of the biggest maternity government hospitals of the state where at least 60 births take place daily, had introduced the rule in April last year under its former superintendent, Karan Pepre.
However, the new superintendent, Ajay Sharma, who took over a few months ago, said he was not aware of the rule.
“I came to know about the rule after some people complained about it. I am looking into it,” he said.
Confirming that it is mandatory, Pepre said nobody complained during his tenure.
“I received this order from the district administration and I had allotted a room to the team who make Aadhaar card. It was a good initiative to help the people to get the (Aadhaar) card with birth certificate,” he said.
The rule came into force in April 2017 but parents have now started complaining to the hospital administration.
With names being changing post-discharge, parents found it difficult to change it on the Aadhaar cards.
One complainant, on condition of anonymity, said, “Who decides the name of the baby before birth? Parents are busy in caring for the mother and baby after birth. To get an Aadhaar card without the name of the baby is not possible. The rule is weird and problematic too, especially for BPL (below poverty line) families.”
The order has been made mandatory at the Sultania Zanana Hospital although it is not compulsory in several government hospitals. Chief medical and health officer (CMHO), Bhopal, Dr Sudhir Jesani, also said that it was not compulsory. “When parents find it difficult to mention the name of the baby in the birth certificate, how can we expect the right name in the Aadhaar Card?” he wondered.
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